HC Deb 30 June 1926 vol 197 c1131
26. Mr. LANSBURY

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the relief scales in operation in the Greenwich and West Ham Unions which he requested should be lowered before giving sanction for future loans, and the scales in each instance suggested by him, which were accepted in the first instance by the Greenwich Union and afterwards rejected, and which up to the present are rejected by the West Ham Board?

Sir K. WOOD

I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement of the relief scales which were in operation in these Unions before the last applications for loans were dealt with by my right hon. Friend. In neither case was a scale of relief suggested by him, but in both cases the Boards of Guardians were asked to submit proposals of their own which would lead to a substantial reduction of expenditure.

Mr. LANSBURY

Is it not a fact that the Ministry did suggest certain reductions to the Board?

SCALES OF RELIEF prior to recent loan applications.
— West Ham Union. Greenwich Union.
Man and wife 19s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 25s. plus rent up to 7s. and I cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Man and wife and 1 child 24s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 31s. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt, in summer.
Man and wife and 2 children 29s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 36s. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Man and wife and 3 children 34s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 41s. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Man and wife and 4 children 39s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 45s. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Man and wife and 5 children 44s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 49s. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Man and wife and 6 children 49s. plus rent and 2s. 6d. for coal in winter only. 50s, 6d. plus rent up to 7s. and 1 cwt. coal in winter, ½ cwt. in summer.
Maximum income per household. 55s. including rent 50s. 6d. plus rent up to 7s a week and coal.
50 per cent. of the wages of an earning member of the household between £1 and £2, and 75 per cent of the wages above £2 are regarded as available for the support of the household. Two-thirds of the total income of the household, apart from relief, above £1 were regarded as available for the support of the household.