§ 74. Mr. E. Smithasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that several public assistance committees have decided to increase the assistance granted during Christmas week; and, in view of that, will be consider the need for issuing a circular to all public assistance committees with a view to recommending a national increase to apply to all applicants for assistance during the week and to all old age and widow pensioners?
§ Sir K. WoodI feel sure that local authorities are well aware of their power to incur reasonable expenditure in this connection.
§ Mr. SmithIn view of the fact that several commissioners have recommended this, would it not be better that it should be done by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour, in order that equal treatment shall be meted oat to the whole of the applicants?
§ Sir K. WoodThat is another matter, but I think public assistance committees generally are well aware of their powers in this matter.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman proposes to adopt the point of the hon. Member by writing an article to the Press about it?
§ Sir K. WoodI will consider writing it generally for the Press.
§ Mr. ThorneWill local authorities who give this extra assistance have to bear the whole of the expenditure out of local rates?
§ Sir K. WoodPerhaps the hon. Member will put that question down.
| Revenue Expenditure on Poor Relief not met out of specific income. | ||||||||||||||
| Amount and equivalent rate in the pound. | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative County of | Year ending 31st March. | |||||||||||||
| 1931. | 1932. | 1933. | 1934. | 1935. | 1936. | 1937. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Glamorgan | 954,420 | 925,375 | 965,252 | 997,232 | 1,053,543 | 1,031,672 | 1,088,035 | |||||||
| s. | d | s. | d. | s. | d. | s.. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 7 | 9.6 | 7 | 8.0 | 8 | 0.6 | 8 | 3.2 | 8 | 7.3 | 8 | 7.8 | 8 | 10.4 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Monmouth | 311,703 | 299,017 | 331,242 | 361,146 | 372,286 | 354,620 | 362,987 | |||||||
| s. | d. | s.. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 5 | 8.1 | 5 | 7.6 | 6 | 3.5 | 6 | 10.9 | 7 | 5.1 | 7 | 4.6 | 7 | 5.9 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Durham | 981,784 | 1,021,652 | 1,162,081 | 1,223,169 | 1,348,080 | 1,219,362 | 1,275,278 | |||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 6 | 9.5 | 7 | 0.4 | 8 | 2.5 | 8 | 6.4 | 9 | 3.5 | 7 | 11.5 | 8 | 4.2 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Surrey | 505,991 | 547,606 | 587,950 | 565,542 | 650,654 | 698,578 | 735,751 | |||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 2.7 | 1 | 3.2 | 1 | 3.7 | 1 | 2.6 | 1 | 2.8 | 1 | 3.3 | 1 | 3.7 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| Middlesex | 1,223,397 | 1,243,735 | 1,398,403 | 1,419,130 | 1,489,943 | 1,681,867 | 1,266,828 | |||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 10.9 | 1 | 19.9 | 1 | 11.6 | 1 | 11.2 | 1 | 10.4 | 1 | 11.5 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||||||
| England and Wales. | 35,572,355 | 33.953,835 | 35,900,542 | 37,010,601 | 38,953,016 | 36,948,569 | not available. | |||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |||
| 2 | 11.3 | 2 | 8.5 | 2 | 10.0 | 2 | 11.3 | 2 | 10.8 | 2 | 8.0 | not available. |