299 
MINORITY REPORT. 
MAY 17 PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, 
1. We regret that we have not found ourselves able to accept 
those conclusions of the majority of Your Commissioners which, 
in our view, deal with the really essential problems of the 
Scheme of National Health Insurance, and we therefore crave 
leave to present separately our own views on these matters. 
(GENERAL. 
2, The recommendations contained in the Majority Report 
may be considered in two parts, namely, those designed to im- 
prove details under whatever system National Health Insurance 
is administered, and those designed to secure improvements 
within the present system and within the present financial 
limits of the Scheme. With regard to the first part, we are in 
agreement with our colleagues except as to those matters to 
which we shall refer later, and with regard to the second part, 
we agree that in the main the recommendations will effect im- 
provements upon the existing system and within the present 
financial limits. We shall, however, refer later to certain recom- 
mendations which we feel will be of doubtful value. 
3. The main questions of principle on which we differ from 
our colleagues are as follows :— 
(1) The evidence which we, in common with them, have 
heard, convinces us that it is undesirable to retain Approved 
Societies any longer as the agencies through which benefits 
paid in cash are distributed to insured persons: and 
(2) we do not accept the view that it is either necessary 
or proper to assume that we are to recommend no develop- 
ment intended to provide, in the words of the Act of 1911, 
‘‘ for insurance against loss of health, and for the preven- 
tion and cure of sickness,”’ which cannot be paid for out 
of the produce of the contributory scheme of Health 
Insurance as it stands; and we feel it our duty to make 
recommendations in favour of :— 
(a) The provision of medical treatment and attendance 
for :— 
(i) children of school-leaving age; and 
(ii) dependants of insured persons; 
(b) Extended provision for child-bearing women 
before, at, and after confinement ; 
(¢) Increase of the rates of benefits paid in cash 
under the National Health Insurance Acts to the pre- 
sent rates under the Unemployment Insurance Acts.