On Wednesday evening Mr. Grant, the Unionist Member for the
Egremont Division of Cumberland, moved that the House should approve of the taking of immediate steps to ensure the co-operation of the medical profession in ad- ministering the National Insurance Act, as without such co-operation the Act would fail efficiently to provide medical benefit. Mr. Lloyd George in his reply entered into a long and detailed defence of the Act and of his negotiations with the medical profession. He claimed as one of the great advantages of the measure that for the first time the medical profession had formulated something in the nature of united specific demands. He dealt with their " delusion " as to the enforcement of con- tract practice and laid stress on his endless consultations with them. He maintained that 75 per cent. of their demands had been embodied in the measure, and that no single demand with regard to machinery had been refused. He admitted that there had been a good deal of justifiable discontent with contract practice, but it could not be put an end to by Act of Parliament. It was the sincere desire of the Government to meet the legitimate wishes of the profession, but they must await the report of the Advisory Committee. He hoped for "a negotiating temper" on both sides, but he did not say it would be possible to put through an arrangement with the medical profession without inviting the House to make some additional provision for medical attendance. This important declaration led to his announcement that he had no objection at all to the motion—an announcement for which the opening passages of his speeoh had contained little or no warrant. The motion was then agreed to without a division.
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