HC Deb 19 November 1931 vol 259 cc1017-9
61. Mr. LOGAN

asked the Minister of Health if he is now prepared to make a statement in the House and issue a circular to public assistance committees setting forth the legal rights of destitute applicants entitled to adequate relief who have been refused or who are receiving transitional or unemployment benefit?

Sir H. YOUNG

Public assistance authorities are aware from experience and through official circulars of their powers and duties in regard to applications for relief in circumstances 3uch as are referred to by the hon. Member, and further pronouncement on the subject would not in my opinion be useful at the present time.

Mr. LOGAN

Are we not entering into rather a new formula; is the right hon. Gentleman aware how this can be dealt with under the Poor Law, because the applicants are beginning to think that they are dealing with the Ministry of Health; and would the right hon. Gentleman kindly issue a circular in regard to the changed conditions showing how they can exercise their power?

Sir H. YOUNG

The hon. Member's question leaves me in some doubt whether he has taken into consideration the Circular which has been already issued, copies of which I shall be happy to send him. He will find that it deals with the consideration which he raises.

Mr. LAWSON

If a public assistance committee decided to pay the full amount of benefit to disabled soldiers and made a rule to that effect, would the right hon. Gentleman object to it?

Sir H. YOUNG

I am sure that the hon. Member realises the extreme undesirability of answering hypothetical questions before they occur. When that case arises in concrete form I can deal with it.

62. Captain STRICKLAND

asked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that the disability pensions of ex-service men were granted in view of definite injury received incapacitating the recipients in competition for employment and that that handicap is recognised by the references contained in the circulars issued by the Ministers of Health and Labour dated 8th October and 11th November, he will seek power to have the duties laid down by the Order-in-Council so altered that it may be a definite instruction that these disability pensions shall not be taken inte account in assessing relief either through the public assistance committees or other public bodies under the authority of the State?

Sir H. YOUNG

As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, local authorities have recently been reminded that the disability in respect of which the pension has been awarded may be such as to call for a greater measure of assistance than would normally be appropriate. It is essential that in assessing the needs of an applicant for relief regard should be had to all the circumstances of the individual case, and I could not adopt a suggestion which would arbitrarily remove from consideration all income of whatever amount, derived from a particular source.

Captain STRICKLAND

In the absence of definite instructions, is it the opinion of the right hon. Gentleman that it is desirable that the question of assessment in the case of disablement pensions of ex-service men should be left to the sympathetic or unsympathetic consideration of varying public bodies; and may I ask to what body an appeal can be made?

Mr. SPEAKER

That question clearly goes beyond the scope of the original question.