In dealing with the Ministry of Health, the Committee recog-
nised Sir Alfred Mond's efforts to curtail the lavish expenditure of his predecessor, Dr. Addison, on housing schemes. The State was, however, committed to an annual charge of £10,000,000 for sixty years ; this could only be reduced by the speedy sale of the houses at half-price, thus saving £21 10s. a year on each house sold. The Health Insurance contributions should be slightly increased. The Ministry should reduce its estimates by £2,500,000 in all. The Committee could not propose a reduc- tion of the Ministry of Labour's estimates for £14,990,700. But it recommended that Unemployment Insurance should be sim- plified and, if possible, combined with Health Insurance. The so-called Employment Exchanges, now needed only for the payment of doles, might then be abolished, with the Ministry of Labour itself. The Committee did not suggest any modification of the Old Age Pensions, which are to cost £22,304,000 next. year, but it suggested that the Pensions Ministry, by reducing superfluous hospital accommodation and reviewing parents' pensions, might save L3,3001000.
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