HC Deb 15 July 1937 vol 326 cc1468-73
40. Mr. Gallacher

asked the Minister of Health what complaints he has received from old age pensioners or from others who find difficulty in obtaining an adequate supply of the necessities of life against the 1d. rate being charged for Coronation celebrations; and whether he will take steps to see that they are relieved from this added burden?

The Minister of Health (Sir Kingsley Wood)

I have received one such complaint. I have no power to relieve any ratepayer from his liability. The reduction or remission of rate payments on account of poverty is a matter for the rating authority or in certain circumstances the local justices.

Mr. Gallacher

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that owing to the rising cost of living it is difficult for old age pensioners to get the ordinary necessities of life, let alone luxuries such as decorations, and will he not recommend to local authorities that they should be relieved of this rate and also recommend the Government to increase old age pensions?

Sir K. Wood

The one case was a case from Crayford of an old age pensioner, and I am informed that in connection with the Coronation special arrangements were made for the old age pensioners and those who could not attend received 2s. 6d. as a gift. In this particular case I observe that the old age pensioner has sufficient funds to issue a leaflet denouncing the work of the Labour party in the area.

Mr. Gallacher

May I ask whether it is in order for the Minister of Health, when I am dealing with old age pensioners generally, to produce some peculiar old age pensioner?

43. Mr. Tinker

asked the Minister of Health whether he will have the returns made to his Department of old age pensioners who are in receipt of payments from Poor Law relief tabulated so that they will show the amount paid and the number of cases dealt with by each separate Poor Law authority?

Sir K. Wood

Returns are made by public assistance authorities which show the number of old age pensioners in receipt of poor relief on 1st January in each year. I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement showing the numbers for each authority on 1st January last. A special return would be required to show the expenditure on out-relief to such persons, and I do not think that I should be justified in asking the authorities for such a return.

Following is the information:

STATEMENT showing for each County and County Borough in England and Wales, the number of old age pensioners who were in receipt of poor relief on 1st January, 1937.
Counties—
Bedford … … … … 508
Berks … … … … 812
Buckingham … … … 975
Cambridge … … … … 498
Chester … … … … 2,585
Cornwall … … … … 1,069
Cumberland … … … … 1,437
Derby … … … … 2,737
Devon … … … … 1,583
Dorset … … … … 1,239
Durham … … … … 8,398
Ely, Isle of … … … 396
Essex … … … … 5,014
Gloucester … … … … 1,442
Counties—cont.
Hereford … … … … 424
Hertford … … … … 1,381
Huntingdon … … … 223
Kent … … … … 4,488
Lancaster … … … … 8,292
Leicester … … … … 825
Lincoln—
Parts of Holland … … 375
Parts of Kesteven … … 427
Parts of Lindsey … … 1,191
London … … … … 27,398
Middlesex … … … … 5,644
Norfolk … … … … 1,545
Northampton … … … 753
Northumberland … … … 1,860
Nottingham … … … 2,183
Oxford … … … … 675
Peterborough, Soke of … … 252
Rutland … … … … 64
Salop … … … … 910
Somerset … … … … 1,588
Southampton … … … 1,192
Stafford … … … … 1,993
Suffolk, East … … … 602
Suffolk, West … … … 469
Surrey … … … … 1,950
Sussex, East … … … 857
Sussex, West … … … 654
Warwick … … … … 1,008
Westmorland … … … 125
Wight, Isle of … … … 347
Wilts. … … … … 1,002
Worcester … … … … 1,072
York—
East Riding … … … 764
North Riding … … … 1,250
West Riding … … … 8,523
Wales—
Anglesey … … … … 376
Brecknock … … … … 427
Caernarvon … … … … 670
Cardigan … … … … 158
Carmarthen … … … 833
Denbigh … … … … 971
Flint … … … … 723
Glamorgan … … … … 8,724
Merioneth … … … … 196
Monmouth … … … … 3,590
Montgomery … … … 283
Pembroke … … … … 440
Radnor … … … … 94
County Boroughs—
Barnsley … … … … 692
Barrow-in-Furness … … 535
Bath … … … … 308
Birkenhead … … … 1,063
Birmingham … … … 4,337
Blackburn … … … … 803
Blackpool … … … … 268
Bolton … … … … 883
Bootle … … … … 582
Bournemouth … … … 454
Bradford … … … … 1,719
Brighton … … … … 760
Bristol … … … … 1,961
Burnley … … … … 734
Burton-upon-Trent … … 165
Bury … … … … 321
Canterbury … … … … 101
Carlisle … … … … 141
Chester … … … … 186
Coventry … … … … 482
Croydon … … … … 822
Darlington … … … … 172
County Boroughs—cont.
Derby … … … … 898
Dewsbury … … … … 291
Doncaster … … … … 351
Dudley … … … … 195
Eastbourne … … … … 276
East Ham … … … … 870
Exeter … … … … 211
Gateshead … … … … 1,094
Gloucester … … … … 100
Great Yarmouth … … … 291
Grimsby … … … … 842
Halifax … … … … 341
Hastings … … … … 308
Huddersfield … … … 448
Ipswich … … … … 606
Kingston-upon-Hull … … 2,984
Leeds … … … … 3,104
Leicester … … … … 1,375
Lincoln … … … … 1,181
Liverpool … … … … 7,169
Manchester … … … … 5,891
Middlesbrough … … … 811
Newcastle-upon-Tyne … … 2,240
Northampton … … … 625
Norwich … … … … 1,169
Nottingham … … … … 2,311
Oldham … … … … 1,155
Oxford … … … … 163
Plymouth … … … … 1,054
Portsmouth … … … … 1,101
Preston … … … … 470
Reading … … … … 433
Rochdale … … … … 453
Rotherham … … … … 859
St. Helens … … … … 659
Salford … … … … 1,128
Sheffield … … … … 4,480
Smethwick … … … … 405
Southampton … … … 1,244
Southend-on-Sea … … … 567
Southport … … … … 312
South Shields … … … 709
Stockport … … … … 696
Stoke-on-Trent … … … 1,511
Sunderland … … … … 2,155
Tynemouth … … … … 384
Wakefield … … … … 414
Wallasey … … … … 339
Walsall … … … … 575
Warrington … … … … 464
West Bromwich … … … 307
West Ham … … … … 2,595
West Hartlepool … … … 463
Wigan … … … … 666
Wolverhampton … … … 685
Worcester … … … … 184
York … … … … 544
Wales—
Cardiff … … … … 2,566
Merthyr Tydfil … … … 1,446
Newport (Mon.) … … … 616
Swansea … … … … 1,094
Total (All Counties and County Boroughs) … … … 214,901

44. Mr. Liddall

asked the Minister of Health whether he can furnish an estimate of the number of wives of men in receipt of contributory pensions who have not reached the age of 65; and in what proportion of these cases is assistance being granted by the public assistance committees?

Sir K. Wood

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 17th June to a similar question asked by the hon. Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) of which I am sending him a copy.

Miss Ward

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are a large number of supporters of the Government behind this general idea, and that it would be a gracious tribute to his own supporters if he would find the information which is required?

67. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the reason why the Government are unable to increase the amount paid to old age pensioners?

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lieut.-Colonel Colville)

I would refer the hon. Member to my speech on the Motion for the Adjournment on 6th July.

Mr. Shinwell

Does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman know that his speech provided no satisfactory answer; does he realise the serious hardships which are imposed upon recipients of old age pensions, and when are the Government going to take suitable action?

Lieut.-Colonel Colville

The hon. Member will see from my speech the financial implications of the change which he proposes and I would ask him to bear in mind the fact that this Government is spending more in pensions than the Government of which he was a member.

Mr. Shinwell

Does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman not realise that the comparative merits of different Governments have nothing to do with the question; and may I ask him further whether he will make representations to his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asking him to implement the pledge which he 2,566 gave in his speech at the Albert Hall when he said he desired to secure the happiness of every person in the country?

Lieut.-Colonel Colville

Again, if the hon. Member refers to the speech he will see from it that every pledge which was given in regard to social services is being amply fulfilled.

Mr. Kirkwood

Arising out of the original reply, is the Financial Secretary aware that since he made that speech we have had information to the effect that the number of millionaires has been increasing, and that the rich are growing richer?

Mr. Speaker

That does not seem to arise.

Mr. Kirkwood

May I submit that it arises on the Financial Secretary's answer. The rich are getting richer.