12. Miss Wardasked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange for a further opportunity in the near future to register for evacuation to be given to mothers with young children, expectant mothers, cripples and blind persons?
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Elliot)In a circular letter of 8th September, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy, I informed the local authorities that it was desirable that parents of school children resident in evacuating areas who did not take advantage of the Government scheme should be granted a further opportunity to register their children, in the event of any further movement being found possible. This further registration is limited to children of school age who would be evacuated without their parents, and it has now been carried out in most of the evacuation areas. The further evacuation of members of the priority groups other than unaccompanied school children will have to receive careful consideration in the light of experience.
Miss WardWould my right hon. Friend be good enough to bear in mind that in the areas which have not priority there is very little time for publicity before the evacuation?
§ Mr. ElliotYes, Sir.
§ Mr. ThorneCan the Minister do something to assist the helpless young men and women in the various localities to get away?
Mrs. AdamsonWill the right hon. Gentleman see, before there is any further evacuation of expectant mothers, cripples and blind persons, that hostel arrangements are made in the reception areas?
§ Mr. ElliotAny evacuation of other priority groups than school children will have to receive very careful consideration.
§ 18. Miss Wilkinsonasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the financial difficulties mothers with young children are experiencing owing to their having to provide food for themselves and their children at their own expense, he can inform the House how he proposes that these difficulties shall be met?
§ Mr. ElliotMothers evacuated with young children whose husbands cannot supply them with sufficient money to provide for them and their children in the receiving areas should apply to the local office of the Ministry of Labour for an allowance under the Government scheme for the prevention and relief of distress.
§ Miss WilkinsonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that mothers who applied for this relief as wives of unemployed men were told that they must live within the allowance paid to their husbands and that he must send money to them; and that the husband who sends money in that way is unable to maintain the home?
§ Mr. ElliotI will consider the specific instances brought to my notice by the hon. Lady.
§ Miss WilkinsonI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for promising to look into the matter, but I would point out that this is not a specific but a very general case, which is worrying many wives.
§ Mr. ElliotIt is much easier to determine a matter of this kind upon specific instances.
§ Mr. SorensenCannot the Unemployment Assistance Board give wives an amount over and above what the husbands get in their ordinary places of location?
§ Mr. ElliotThe local office of the Ministry of Labour can ensure that the person in question is not in distress, and a final arrangement between the area in which the husband may be situated and that of the wife would have to be the subject of further consideration. It is for the local areas of the Ministry of Labour to see that the wife is not in distress.