HC Deb 21 February 1939 vol 344 cc194-5
55. Mr. Gallacher

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of old age pensioners in the county of Fife receiving public assistance, and the actual or approximate cost to the Fife County Council for this purpose during 1938?

Mr. Colville

Fife County Council inform me that the number of old age pensioners in the county who received public assistance during the year to 15th May, 1938, the latest period for which information is available, was 1,285. The relief granted included relief to 332 dependants, and the inclusive cost to the county council was £13,313.

Mr. Gallacher

Is not the Minister prepared to recommend to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to take this burden off the Fife County Council and place it where it belongs, on the National Exchequer?

Mr. Colville

That is a larger question on which I cannot make any statement.

Mr. Gallacher

To use the language employed last night by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for East Edinburgh (Mr. Pethick-Lawrence), will the right hon. Gentleman not assist in kicking the Government into doing their duty by these old age pensioners and by the local authorities who have to meet the Bill?

57. Mr. Davidson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of old age pensioners in Scotland who are patients in Scottish local authority institutions?

Mr. Colville

I regret that statistics of the old-age pensioners admitted to all Scottish local authority institutions are not available.

Mr. Davidson

Will not the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries in order to ascertain whether there has been a considerable increase in Scotland in the numbers in those institutions since he became Secretary of State?

Mr. Colville

In order to get the figures for which the hon. Member has asked, I should have to ask for returns from all local authorities in Scotland, who would have to make inquiries in many individual cases, and I do not think that would be justified.

Mr. Davidson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the local authorities are very willing to give this information?

Mr. Colville

I am aware that the local authorities very often resent being asked for information arising out of Parliamentary questions.

Mr. Thorne

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Minister of Health has already decided to get information from the local authorities in England and Wales, and will not that apply to Scotland as well?

Mr. Colville

That is on a rather different point, but I am proposing to get information similar to that for which the Minister of Health is asking in England.