On Friday week in the Commons the Appropriation Bill was
read a third time. It was the occasion for a debate on the working of the Insurance Act. In answer to, much: criticism, Mr. Mast erman said that no obstacle would be put: in the way of Insurance Committees which wished to allow insured persons in exceptional cases to employ doctors who were not on a panel. He admitted that it was desirable that doctors who wished to attend only a limited number of patients should only be allowed to join panels, provided that they did not take only "picked lives," and provided that the other doctors on the panels did not object. He maintained that in this way every insured person would be able to "choose his own doctor," as Mr. Lloyd George had promised. On the motion for the adjournment of the House till March. 6th the opium question and foreign affairs were discussed. Mr. Acland, speaking for Sir Edward Grey, said that the Chinese Govern. ment were being urged to carry out strictly their treaty obligations as to Tibet. As for Persia, it was essential that, the bandits who had killed Captain Eckford should be punished, but the Government intended to give Persia another chance to set her house-in order, and would not at'
present send a punitive expedition. There is also to be a new loan for Persia, which Lord Morley explained more fully in the Lords on Wednesday.
Previous page
