§ 4. Dr. MORRIS-JONESasked the Minister of Labour if he will state how many cases for transitional payments have been dealt with in the area of the Colwyn Bay urban district to the latest available date; in how many cases have full benefits been allowed; in how many cases partial benefits; and how many applicants have been disallowed any benefits?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONThese figures are available only for the areas covered by public assistance committees. I regret, therefore, that separate statistics for the area of the Colwyn Bay urban district are not available.
§ Dr. MORRIS-JONESIs the Minister aware that severe hardship to the unemployed is involved in some of these seaside resorts, especially on the North Wales coast, by the operation of transitional benefit?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONNo, Sir; I was not aware of that fact.
§ 6. Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYasked the Minister of Labour if he can give the percentage of cases in which decisions by the public assistance committees under the means test have been reviewed and the awards increased; and if he will also give the percentages for Scotland?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI regret that there are no statistics on this point.
§ 7. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Minister of Labour whether it has been possible to form any estimate of the amount of money saved to date by the subjection of claimants for transitional benefit to means tests by the public assistance committees?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI am sorry that I am still unable to give my hon. and gallant Friend any sufficiently close estimate. I will inform him as soon as I am able to do so, which I hope may be some time next month.
§ 11. Mr. HICKSasked the Minister of Labour if he will give the names of the public assistance authorities who have protested against the means test in connection with transitional benefit for the unemployed; and whether any officials of his Department have interviewed members of the protesting authorities, and to what effect?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have prepared a full reply, which, with the hon. Member's permission, I propose to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ Such protests as I have received have taken one of two forms. A few authorities have adopted resolutions protesting against the application of any means test, and for obvious reasons I have been able to do no more than take note of their resolutions. A few other authorities have protested against the administration of a means test by public assistance authorities, and in such cases interviews, where necessary, have taken place with the result that all authorities are in fact co-operating. The public assistance authorities in the first group include Coventry, East Ham, Hull, Lincoln, Monmouthshire and St. Helens; and in the second group Darlington, Hull, Lanarkshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Wigan.
530§ 14. Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Labour whether the Government are con templating any change in the administration of the means test and, if so, can he make any announcement on the subject?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI cannot add anything to the statements made by my right hon. Friend and myself on this subject in the course of the Debate on Wednesday last, 17th February.
§ Mr. LUNNAre the Government quite satisfied with the administration by the public assistance committees of the means test as it is at present?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI do not know whether the hon. Gentleman was present on 17th February, when I went very fully into the question of the administration, and expressed my views on it.