Social Security Planner Arrives from England

Grey River Argus, 12 April 1948, Page 4

Social Security Planner Arrives from England

Lord Beveridge Interviewed P.A. WELLINGTON, April 11 The author of the Beveridge Plan, on which Britain’s Social Security legislation is based, Lord Beveridge, accompanied by Lady Beveridge, arrived to-day on a month’s visit to the Dominion. ' They will be the guests ui Otago University and New Zealand University until April 21. They will thereafter be the guests of the Government until their departure for Australia about May 9. Lord Beveridee expects to spend about a week in" Wellington .after his return from the South Island and hopes to meet the Ministers concerned with the working m rne Dominion of the subjects in Which he is most interested —social security, housing, and town planning. Britain and New Zealand, he said, in an interview, lead the world in social security, thougn on slightly diilerent lines. The New Zealand system was well known to him, but he wanted to study it in operation. Britain’s scheme, though the three Acts controlling it were all passed, would not be in full operation until July 1. People began paying their contribustions, but went on tor six months, before benefits began. He had been interested to hear a recent statement of the British Minister of Health. Mr Aneurin Bevan, on fresh proposals for doctors to work the health provisions. T hey were concession to the doctors. “The differences between the doctors and the Government are very narrow,” said Lord Beveridge “and 1. expect that, when we get home, we shall find it all settled.”

He said that New Zealand, which, though larger than Britain, had today a population only as great as that of Manchester or Liverpool, could do with considerable immigration. He said: “I hope, however, you will take more of a cross-section of population ages, instead of all young people. It is an awful pity to take young people. You want family groups. In his early days, he said, he was a journalist. At the time that he was doing his first bits of work on social security he was writing leading articles for “The Morning Post”— “Good Conservative paper, though I have always been radical,” he added. Lord and Ladv Beveridge stayed tonight with the United Kingdom High Commission. Sir Patrick Duff and Lady Duff. They will leave for Dunedin by air at noon to-morrow