§ 63. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married and single, and their dependants, resident in the Poplar Union, were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not inreceipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 58. Mr. COMPTONasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men in the Manchester and Salford area now in receipt of Poor Law relief; and how many of these are drawing this relief as a result of being refused unemployment benefit?
§ 64. Mr. JOHNasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married and single, and their dependants, resident in the Pontypridd Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor or outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 65. Mr. MORGAN JONESasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, resident in the Methyr Tydfil Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor or outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 67. Mr. THURTLEasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, resident in the Shoreditch Union, were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor or outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 68. Miss WILKINSONasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, resident in the Middles- 2578 brough Union, were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor or outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 69. Mr. BARKERasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, resident in the Bedwellty Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men not in receipt of unemployment pay?
§ 70. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married and single, and their dependants, resident in West Ham Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 71. Mr. SCURRasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married and single, and their dependants, resident in the Stepney Union were in receipt of indoor or outdoor relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 72. Mr. JENKINSasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men, married and single, and their dependants, resident in the Neath Union who were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not receiving unemployment benefit?
§ 73. Mr. DALTONasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, single and married, and their dependants, resident in the Camberwell Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor and outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 74. Mr. J. BECKETTasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men and their dependants, married or single, resident in the Gateshead Union who were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were not receiving unemployment benefit?
§ 75. Mr. SAKLATVALAasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, single and married, and their de- 2579 pendants, resident in the Wandsworth Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief, indoor and outdoor, during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men who were in receipt of allowances from the Ministry of Pensions or unemployment benefit?
§ 77. Mr. BROADasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, single or married, and their dependants, resident in the Edmontonu Union were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit; and the number, if any, in receipt of allowances from the Ministry of Pensions?
§ 78. Mr. BROMLEYasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, resident in the Poor Law union covering the borough of Barrow-in-Furness were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men not in receipt of allowances from the Ministry of Pensions or unemployment benefit?
§ 80. Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men, married or single, and their dependants, who were in receipt of relief in the Houghton-le-Spring, South Shields. and Sunderland Unions, respectively, in the week ending 27th February, 1926; and the number of such men who were not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ 86. Mr. HAYDAYasked the Minister of Health how many ex-service men, married or single, resident in the Nottingham Union, were in receipt of Poor Law relief during the week ending 27th February; and the number of such men not in receipt of unemloyment benefit?
§ 87. Mr. GIBBINSasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men who were in receipt of Poor Law relief for the week ending the 20th February, 1926, in the West Derby Union?
93. Mr. T. THOMSONasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men in the Middlesbrough Union who are in receipt of Poor Law relief: and the number who are drawing this relief because they have been refused unemployment benefit?
§ 105. Mr. CLOWESasked the Minister of Health the number of ex-service men 2580 in the Stoke-on-Trent and Wolstanton Guardians' area now in receipt of Poor Law relief; and the number of such men not in receipt of unemployment benefit?
§ Captain GEEBefore the Minister of Health answers these questions, may I ask him if it is not a fact that the whole of the information asked for in these 14 or 15 questions could have been obtained from the boards of guardians locally, and thus saved the time of this House and prevent a waste of public money?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThere is a considerable number of questions asking for statistics of ex-service men in receipt of Poor Law relief in various unions, and I propose, with permission, to answer all these questions together. The information asked for is not available in my Department. Boards of guardians are not required to classify the recipients of relief according to whether they are or are not ex-service men, and no statistics of this kind are furnished to me. As already stated, I am not prepared to ask boards of guardians to make special investigations which would entail an expense out of proportion to the value of the information obtained.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that most boards of guardians conduct their inquiries on the case paper system, and therefore it is simply a matter of putting a clerk to take out information from those papers and give the returns? Has the right hon. Gentlemn asked for this to be done? May I also ask if it is not a fact that whenever a Member of this House requires information concerning a local authority the right hon. Gentleman can get it by asking the local authority for it? Have any of these boards of guardians complained that they are not able or willing to give the information?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am not aware that any boards of guardians have complained that they are not able or willing to give me the information. I am afraid I have now forgotten what the first question of the hon. Member was.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI may say, Mr. Speaker, that I intend to persist with this question. The question which I asked the right hon. Gentleman is one which is well known in his Department. I asked: Is it not a fact that most 2581 boards of guardians conduct their inquiries on the case paper system, and is it not also a fact that those who do not are obliged, under the orders of the Ministry, to keep a record of the previous history of every applicant who comes before them?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs I have already said, boards of guardians are not required to pick out or classify men who are ex-service men from other categories of men. Therefore, so far as I am aware, boards of guardians have not got that information. Of course I do not say they could not get it.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThey have got it.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI do not know that, but if the hon. Member knows that they have got it, perhaps he knows what it is.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThis is a very important matter. The point is that the Minister of Health stands at that Box, and says he does not know that the Poor Law authorities have this information when he knows that His Department has got it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member for Bow and Bromley is not entitled to make a statement at Question Time. If he is dissatisfied with the answer, he has a proper remedy by asking for the Vote for the Minister's salary to be put down, when he can move a reduction. Then the House- will have an opportunity of saying whether or not it agrees with the Minister. That is the proper procedure.
§ Mr. DIXEYI should like your ruling, Mr. Speaker, with regard to certain questions' put down earlier, numbering about seven. "We were entitled to ask on this side of the House only two supplementary questions. On a point of Order I should like to put it to you, that there should be an equal distribution of supplementary questions on both sides.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWhen the hon. Member is in my place he will be able to conduct the proceedings.
§ Mr. LANSBURYOn a point of Order. I wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether any of us who put down these questions 2582 are entitled to put down a Motion asking for a Return of these cases to be placed on the Table of the House?
§ Mr. SPEAKERCertainly. The hon. Member can prepare a Motion for the Return, and put it down on the paper. If he fail to get the Return, then he has the further remedy of asking the House to pronounce its opinion in regard to the action of the Minister in Supply, on the Vote for the Minister's salary.
§ 95. Mr. HAYESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that ex-Private Alfred Tunstall, No. 140,332, 9th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment, now of No. 112, Holt Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool, who is unemployed and not in receipt of unemployment pay, applied to the West Derby Board of Guardians, Liverpool, for relief and was given an admission order to the workhouse in lieu of relief, as he was a single man residing with his parent; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any steps to prevent men who fought in the Great War being so treated?
§ Mr. HAYESMay I put the question down again for a reply this day week; and will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that an admission order for the workhouse is a poor fulfilment of the nation's War promises?