276 
MAJORITY REPORT, 
and be administered in connexion with the other cash benefits. 
(paras. 114 and 343.) 
THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE EXISTING SOCIAL SERVICES. 
(14) That the financial burden of the various social services is 
at the present time so great in proportion to the productive 
capacity of the country, and so much in advance of what is 
provided in countries which are our trade competitors, that no 
extensions of benefit involving substantial additional expenditure 
should be contemplated now or in the immediate future, but that 
any immediate changes in the Scheme of National Health Insur- 
ance should be limited to such as are possible within its present 
financial resources. (paras. 151-153.) 
(15) That accordingly there should be no increase at the present 
time in the rates of contribution or in the scale of the Exchequer 
Grants. (para. 153.) 
THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL, HEALTH INSURANCE 
SCHEME. 
(16) That the financial arrangements of the Scheme are well 
devised, and that the machinery works smoothly and effectively. 
(para. 155.) 
(17) That an analysis of the expenditure of Approved Societies 
on sickness and disablement benefits reveals the need for more 
effective supervision of claims for those benefits, and that the 
attention of the Central Departments should be directed to the 
matter so that they may consider in co-operation with the 
Approved Societies more effective methods of supervision. (paras. 
176-1717.) 
(18) That by a modification of the actuarial basis of the 
Scheme, particularly with regard to expectation of sickness and 
assumed rate of interest as set out in the First Report of the 
Actuarial Committee, and by certain financial readjustments 
described below, a margin can be made available out of the 
present weekly contribution which, with the related State grant, 
will provide a sum of about 7s. a year in the case of men and 
3s. 9d. a year in the case of women. (para. 179.) 
(19) That the first charge on this margin should be the pro- 
vision of the balance (estimated at 3s. per insured person per 
annum, both for men and women) of the cost of the present 
medical benefit for which no statutory provision has been made 
beyond the end of 1926 ; further that any deficiency in respect of 
the cost of medical benefit for the three years 1924-1926 should be 
met by an increase of the charges imposed by the National 
Health Insurance (Cost of Medical Benefit) Act, 1924 upon the 
moneys to which recourse is authorised by that Act. (para. 182.) 
(20) That the balance of the margin should not be devoted 
to decreasing the present weekly contribution, but should be