HC Deb 30 June 1926 vol 197 cc1131-3
27. Mr. LANSBURY

asked the Minister of Health whether he consulted his medical advisers before recommending

Sir K. WOOD

No, Sir. I have stated that the Minister suggested no scale. What he did suggest was that they should submit proposals which, when submitted, would show a substantial reduction in expenditure.

Mr. W. THORNE

Is it not true that, although the guardians did suggest a scale, when that scale was put into operation they found it was inhuman, and they rescinded their previous decision?

Sir K. WOOD

No. The scale which has been recently adopted is still in operation.

Mr. TAYLOR

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the Minister of Health considers 25s. a week for a man and wife an excessive scale of relief?

Sir K. WOOD

That is a matter for argument.

Mr. MARCH

Is it the view of the Ministry that the longer people are on the list the less they want to live on?

Following is the statement:

the West Ham Board of Guardians to substitute margarine for butter in the dietaries prescribed for patients in the institution at Whipps Cross; and will he lay upon the Table of the House any statement he has received from such advisers wherein it is stated that the dietetic value of margarine is equal to that of butter?

Sir K. WOOD

My right hon. Friend has not recommended the West Ham Board of Guardians to make the substitution suggested. The dietary of this institution is supervised by the medical officer of the institution. With regard to the dietetic value of margarine I may refer the hon. Member to the special Report on "Diet in relation to normal nutrition" issued by my Department in 1921, of which I will send him a copy.

Mr. LANSBURY

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that at the end of the War the medical officer of his Department advised all boards of guardians to change over from margarine to butter for their children and sick people?

Sir K. WOOD

I am not aware of that. The hon. Gentleman had better carefully study this Report.

WEST HAM UNION.
1. Particulars with regard to totals of loans raised for the purposes of relief during the last six years—
£
Total amount of loans raised 2,400,000
Amount of principal repaid 425,000
Amount of interest paid 195,483
Total amount of loans outstanding 1,975,000
In addition the guardians have authority to overdraw to the extent of
£300,000 until 31st August, 1926.
£100,000 until 30th June, 1926.
2. Numbers relieved.—The returns furnished to the Minister do not show separately, single men and married men, or the dependants of men as distinguished from dependants of women. The following Table shows the average number of persons ordinarily engaged in some regular occupapation and their dependants in receipt of domiciliary Poor Law relief:—
Month. Men. Women. Children. Total.
May, 1924 13,172 14,022 22,124 49,318
May, 1925 11,362 11,368 18,813 41,543
May, 1926 24,519 22,856 40,305 87,680
The figures for June are not yet available.
3. Average weekly cost per head of domiciliary relief in money and kind for April, 1926, to latest date for which comparative figures are available are—
West Ham Union 8s. 5¼d.
England and Wales 6s. 0¼d.