§ 3 Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Labour (1) how many persons, men and women, have had their claims for transitional (unemployment) benefit dealt with by the West Riding Public Assistance Committee up to the latest date; how many are still receiving full benefit; how many have been reduced; and in how many cases no benefit is now being paid;
(2) how many persons, men and women, have had their claims for transitional (unemployment) benefit dealt with by the Lower Agbrigg Guardians' Committee of the West Riding of Yorkshire up to the
| Determinations* given by Public Assistance Committees between 12th November, 1931, and 23rd January, 1932, on applications for transitional payments. | ||||
| Local Authority. | Allowed at normal benefit rates. | Allowed at rate lower than normal benefit rates. | Needs of applicants held not to justify payments. | Total determinations. |
| MEN. | ||||
| West Riding County Council | 40,567 | 14,652 | 5,866 | 61,085 |
| Lower Agbrigg Public Assistance Committee. | 2,400 | 570 | 263 | 3,233 |
| Wakefield County Borough | 1,725 | 621 | 242 | 2,588 |
| WOMEN. | ||||
| West Riding County Council | 2,555 | 1,171 | 2,082 | 5,808 |
| Lower Agbrigg Public Assistance Committee. | 132 | 57 | 75 | 264 |
| Wakefield County Borough | 68 | 30 | 47 | 145 |
| TOTAL | ||||
| West Riding County Council | 43,122 | 15,823 | 7,948 | 66,893 |
| Lower Agbrigg Public Assistance Committee. | 2,532 | 627 | 338 | 3,497 |
| Wakefield County Borough | 1,793 | 651 | 289 | 2,733 |
| * The figures include renewals and revisions of determinations and the number of separate individuals concerned is not available. Statistics are not available showing the numbers in each of the classes named in the Table who are now unemployed. |
§ 11. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Minister of Labour on what date the public assistance committee of Sheffield held its first meeting to commence the administration of transitional payment regulations?
§ latest date; how many are still receiving full benefit; how many have been reduced; and in how many cases no benefit is now being paid;
§ (3) how many persons, men and women, have had their claims for transitional (unemployment) benefit dealt with by the Wakefield Public Assistance Committee up to the latest date; how many are still receiving full benefit; how many have been reduced; and in how many cases no benefit is now being paid?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONAs the reply includes a table of figures, I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI do not know the precise date of the first meeting, but the records show that determinations were received from the authority shortly after the scheme came into force on 12th November last.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman state exactly how many days expired before the determinations were received?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe determinations were received from the authorities shortly after the scheme came into force on the 12th November. The delay was a question of days.
§ 13. Mr. FLANAGANasked the Minister of Labour the savings which have now been effected to date in respect of the new arrangements for transitional benefit payments?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald) on 2nd February.
§ Mr. TINKERWill the right hon. Gentleman give the figures separately for the counties so that we can see what uniformity there is in saving?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThat is an entirely different question, and I must ask the hon. Gentleman to put it down.
14. Mr. PRICEasked the Minister of Labour the additional number of officers employed by the local public assistance committees following the additional duties put upon the committees in connection with the award of transitional benefit to unemployed persons; and whether the additional cost will be met from the local rates?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI regret that I am not at present in possession of complete details of this staff. With regard to the second part of the question, approved expenditure incurred in the engagement of additional staff will be reimbursed by the Ministry on application by the authority concerned.
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThe authorities have just recently been invited to submit an account of their expenditure and the necessary particulars, and until those accounts have been received I cannot give an answer.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the House have an account of these expenses so that we may discuss them on the Estimates?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONYes, I hope so.
§ 15. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Minister of Labour whether he has felt it necessary to call the attention of any public assistance committee to the need for observing the means test; whether any such committees have decided to give the exact amount of unemployment benefit; and whether they have disregarded disability pensions altogether?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONYes, Sir. It has been necessary in certain cases to call attention to the terms of the Order in Council. As regards the second part of the question statistics of the determinations of the authorities were given in my reply of 2nd February to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald). As regards the third part of the question, any general practice of disregarding the whole of disability pensions irrespective of the need of the disabled man would be illegal, and certain authorities have been so advised.
§ 40. Mr. LOGANasked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the cost now to be borne by the ratepayers owing to the transference of disallowed unemployment cases to the public assistance committees; and what financial assistance, if any, is the Government prepared to give to the local governing bodies to meet this additional burden on the ratepayers?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Hilton Young)I am not aware of any such change in the position regarding persons disallowed unemployment benefit as would give reason for considering the provision of special financial assistance to local authorities from the Exchequer.
§ Mr. LOGANIf the right hon. Gentleman is not aware of the fact, is he willing to receive representations from Liverpool in regard to these special cases?
§ Sir H. YOUNGYes. If any local authority desires to make representations on the subject, of course, I am always ready to hear them.