§ 35 Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health (1) whether he is aware that the application of the Blind Persons Act, 1920, has resulted in the county borough of West Ham in an expenditure of £1,513 for 1925–26, £1,478 11s. 6d. for 1926–27, and £1,664 13s. 3d. for 1927–28; and whether he will consider making a portion of this expenditure a charge upon the Exchequer;
(2) if he is aware that the cost of the home-teaching services in connection with the application of the Blind Persons Act, 1920, has cost within the county borough of West Ham £281 4s. 7d. for 1926, £279 4s. 10d. for 1927, and estimated to cost £283 9s. 11d. for 1928; and whether he will consider making a portion of this 2440 expenditure a charge upon the Exchequer and a proportion borne by the local authority?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe figures quoted agree substantially though not exactly, with those furnished to me by the town council. The expenditure of the council represents payments to voluntary agencies in respect of services rendered by them under agreement with the council, and my Department are paying direct grants to these agencies in respect of these services amounting to about £750 for the year 1927–28. In addition, the annual cost to the Exchequer of old age pensions paid to blind persons in West Ham under 70 years of age is estimated to be about £3,000. The arrangements in West Ham do not differ from those elsewhere prevailing under the scheme for assisting blind persons, and I see no ground for a special concession to this particular local authority.
§ Mr. GROVESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some parts of the country the local authorities do not apply this Act, if I may say so respectfully, with the same vigour as West Ham does, and does it not appear that the more energetically local authorities apply the Statute the more they have to pay? Will the Minister of Health consider that?