45. Mr. J. J. Davidsonasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that no machinery exists either at the Scottish Office or the Treasury for calculating the amounts of State expenditure upon old age pensions, widows' pensions, or pensions under the Blind Persons Act in the city of Glasgow or in any other geographical area; and whether, in view of the social and statistical importance of this information to Members of this House and to the public in general, he will give instructions that the information referred to is to be collected and made available to questions in this House?
§ The Prime MinisterPensions records, for reasons arising out of the need for expeditious and accurate administration, are not kept on a geographical basis which would be necessary to provide the information which the hon. Member desires. I do not think the importance of the information is such as to justify the labour and expense which would be involved in obtaining it.
Mr. DavidsonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I placed three questions down to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, who transferred them to the Secretary of State for Scotland, and that I have been utterly unable to obtain any information in regard to pensions, under the headings in my question, paid in the City of Glasgow; and does he not think that if the local treasurers can submit 1964 this information, Members of Parliament should be able at least to have that information verified from either the Treasury or the Secretary of State for Scotland?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not understand what the hon. Member means by saying that the information has been given by the treasurers. In any case, it does not affect my answer.
Mr. DavidsonI mean by the local treasurers. The treasurers of local government give a report, sometimes in the public Press, and does the right hon. Gntleman not think that the figures of these local treasurers should at least be verified or able to be verified by Members of this House?
§ The Prime MinisterThe question deals with expenditure upon these particular pensions, and I do not see how the local treasurers can have access to that information.