HC Deb 15 February 1932 vol 261 cc1277-8
60. Miss WARD

asked the Minister of Labour whether, having regard to the general expression of opinion and the instructions issued to public assistance committees to deal sympathetically with cases of ex-service men applying for transitional payments, he will assure the House that no action will be taken with regard to any public assistance committee which in every instance ignores disability pensions?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. R. S. Hudson)

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for St. Pancras North (Captain Fraser) on 3rd December last, in which attention is called to the nature of the discretion which public assistance committees can and should exercise in such cases. That reply makes it clear, however, that the authority must not make it a rule to disregard disability pensions, that is to say, irrespective of the circumstances of the particular applicant; to do so would be a breach of the law.

61. Mr. DINGLE FOOT

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered a resolution sent to him from the Dundee Public Assistance Committee declaring that the basic scale of transitional benefit has brought the recipients below the subsistence level and what action he proposes to take?

Mr. HUDSON

The resolution of the Committee is in effect a request for an increase of the rate of unemployment benefit. My right hon. Friend can give no undertaking on this subject.

Mr. FOOT

In view of the recent utterance on this subject by the Prime Minister at Durham, could my hon. Friend give the House any indication as to when the Government intend to review the working of the means test?

Mr. HUDSON

The question of the working of the means test is continually under review.

Miss HORSBRUGH

Might I ask the hon. Member if the resolution passed by the Dundee Public Assistance Committee recognises the necessity for the means test, while questioning the suitability of the amount?

Mr. HUDSON

Yes, the first paragraph of the resolution says that the Dundee Public Assistance Committee considers the means test to be necessary.