Mr. Neville Chamberlain, the Minister of Health, in introducing the
Bill, said that he considered his post hereditary as his father had done the work of a pioneer for workmen's compensation, pensions and insurance. He himself had added the Housing Act of 1923 and he hoped yet to add a Bill for the reform of rating and a Bill for the reform of the Poor Law. He eulogized the investigations of Mr. Broad and Sir John Marriott into the subject of " " Insurance. Only technical difficulties had compelled the Government reluctantly to abandon such an attractive scheme. They had grafted Old Age and Widows' Pensions on to the Health Insurance organization because that organization Possessed the most suitable machinery and covered the greatest number of people. The Government had fixed the benefit at 10s. a person not becauSe they thought that life could be supported upon that, but beCause the 10s. was intended to be supplementary to private thrift.
