159 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
343. We have given long and careful consideration as to 
whether we should recommend that this improved provision for 
maternity should receive second place in the extensions to be 
recommended by us, the first place having been allotted to the 
provision of a specialist and consultant medical service. We fully 
recognise the importance, in the interests of the health of the 
nation, of doing everything possible to insure that women should 
have skilled attention during pregnancy and childbirth, 
and we were impressed by the evidence submitted to us as to 
the failure of the present maternity benefit to effect any reduc- 
tion in the rate of maternal mortality. Finally, however, we 
came to-the conclusion that the second place in our recom- 
mended extensions should be given to the provision of allowances 
to the dependants of insured persons in receipt of sickness or 
disablement benefit, and that extended provision for maternity 
should be given the third place, with the result that it cannot 
be included in the extensions which will become immediately 
practicable under the financial re-adjustments which we recom- 
mend in Chapters VII and IX of our Report. It was with 
considerable reluctance that we arrived at this decision. Apart 
from the claims, on its own merits, of the proposal for giving 
allowances in respect of dependants, we were influenced by the 
consideration that it was of the utmost importance that any 
scheme for making better provision for maternity should be 
linked up in the closest possible way with the maternity and 
child welfare work of the Local Authorities. There might, 
therefore, be some advantage in refraining from change until the 
T.ocal Authority has become (as we propose) responisible for 
the insurance medical service as well as the other public health 
services, and has had time to take stock of the position on bot: 
sides of its work and to familiarise itself with the new problems 
which will arise. 
THE PROBLEM OF MAINTENANCE. 
344. Turning now to the other aspect of the question as repre- 
sented to us by witnesses, viz. : the provision of maintenance 
for mother and child, we have found some difficulty in arriving 
at a reliable estimate of the cost which would be involved and we 
foresee many difficulties in the administration of such allowances 
as are proposed. On this matter also we sought the guidance of 
the Actuarial Committee. In reply it was pointed out to us 
that the problem of intention to resume work must necessarily 
arise, and that calculations could not be made authoritatively 
until the method of dealing with that problem had been settled. 
The aim of the advocates of this part of a maternity scheme is 
to provide for the wage-earning woman So as to recompense her 
for the definite pecuniary loss incurred by her withdrawal tem- 
porarily from employment by reason of her pregnancy and con- 
fnement. The difficulty of determining whether or not a par-