MAJORITY REPORT. 
1% 3 
=e 
from their staffs) have become so limited in range that they 
do not offer sufficient attraction to public-spirited people, who 
could find much better scope for their energies on other local 
bodies. . . In some committees the members appointed by the 
County or County Borough Councils really form the only section 
with much experience of public administration.” He adds: 
‘They really have so little to do except disciplinary ‘work, 
which is mostly done by the Medical Service Sub-Committee. 
On the other hand, if you give them more work to do, say, an 
extension of their general health duties, you bring them into 
competition with the other local health authorities ” (Q. 23,975). 
We may quote also the following question and answers : 
“Do you consider that the Insurance Committees perform an 
essential service in regard to the benefits of deposit contributors 
that could not be otherwise arranged for?”’—(Sir Walter 
Kinnear) : * No.”> (Mr. Brock) : ** 1 agree with Sir Walter *’ 
(Q. 23,982). ¢“ The position is very much the same with regard 
to the Navy and Army Insurance Fund.” (Kinnear ; 
). 23.985). “ We think a transfer of the powers and duties 
of Insurance Committees to the appropriate committees of the 
County and County Borough Councils would have the great 
advantage of being a step towards the co-ordination of all local 
health functions which is generally recognised as the logical 
corollary of the co-ordination of central health functions in the 
Ministry of Health. It would certainly facilitatel co-ordination 
between Insurance and other Public Health services, and it 
Would secure the independent expert advice of the medical 
officer of health and other medical officers of the Councils 
_ + + . Whatever Committee ~ (i.e., of the County and 
County Borough Councils) ““ is charged with these duties, it is 
desirable that it should contain a strong co-opted element 
Including adequate representation of the doctors.” (Brock, 
Q. 23,991.) 
TRANSFER OF POWERS AND: DUTIES TO 1.00AL AUTHORITIES. 
396. The conclusion we come to, then, is that Insurance 
Committees should be abolished, and that their work, very much 
In jtg present form, pending any radical remodelling and 
Unification of the Health Services, should be handed over to 
Committees of the appropriate Local Authorities with possibly a 
€o-opted element. We do not enter into any details 
8 to what is the appropriate local authority, as this question 
8 dependent on the results of the deliberations of the Royal 
Commission on Local Government now sitting. Until the lines 
mM which the general framework of the local government of the 
tountry is to be remodelled are known, any specific recom- 
Mendations would be useless. If our recommendation in this 
Matter jg adopted, we think it may safely be assumed that