MAJORITY REPORT. 
in the National Health Insurance Act, 1924, which came into 
operation on the 1st January, 1925. 
PrEvVIoUs INQUIRIES INTO THE SCHEME. 
11. We have spoken of the present inquiry as being the first 
general and comprehensive investigation into the working of 
the Scheme. There have, inevitably in a scheme of this 
magnitude, been several inquiries into certain aspects of its 
operation. Of these, two call for mention by reason of their 
wider scope and their more general interest. The first was the 
Committee which sat under the Chairmanship of Sir Claud 
Schuster in 1913-14 to inquire into allegations that excessive 
sickness claims were being made on the funds of Approved 
Societies. The report of this Committee presents an interesting 
account of the working of Societies at the outset of the Scheme 
and of the difficulties of administration which confronted them. 
Issued at the beginning of the War, and in consequence over- 
shadowed by greater events, the report had less practical effect 
than might have ensued had it appeared in happier circum- 
stances. The other inquiry of considerable importance was that 
which in 1916 reported on questions of Approved Society finance 
and administration. This Committee, of which Sir Gerald Ryan 
was Chairman, devoted a large measure of its attention to 
questions of simplification, an end desirable in itself yet appearing 
particularly desirable under the stress of war. The labours of 
this Committee were reflected, as has been noted, in the very 
considerable amending Act of 1918. 
OUTLINE OF THE SCHEME, 
12. A full description of the present legislative provisions 
governing National Health Insurance, as contained in the Acts 
and the Statutory Regulations and Orders made thereunder, 
together with an account of the method of administration of 
the Scheme in England, was supplied to us by the Ministry 
of Health and is contained in Part I of the Appendix to our 
Minutes of Fvidence. The same volume also contains state- 
ments supplied by the Scottish Board of Health and the Welsh 
Board of Health respectively, showing the variations in those 
countries from the position as set out in the Fnglish statement. 
As these complete statements with regard to the law and the 
method of administration of the Scheme are included in the 
official record of our proceedings, we do not think it necessary 
here to give more than the broadest descriptive outline of the 
system. 
13. The Scheme of National Health Insurance in this 
country is on a compulsory and contributory basis. The persons 
who are required to be insured are, subject to certain exceptions, 
all those between the ages of 16 and 70 who are employed under