asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give (a) the last annual returns available from the National Health Insurance Society for incapacitation benefits, and (b) the amount paid where rheumatism was certified.

The last available annual returns of the National Health Insurance Society which include figures relating to rheumatism are for the year 1947. They show total payments of £900,047 in respect of sickness and disablement benefits to 77,154 persons, and include £141,110 to 8,831 persons certified to be suffering from rheumatism.