HC Deb 03 July 1939 vol 349 cc911-4
45. Mr. Kennedy

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has returned to the representations made to him by the Scottish local authorities on the findings of the conference of Scottish public assistance authorities, Scottish Members, of Parliament and officials of the Old Age Pensioners' Association, held at Edinburgh on 24th June, at which a resolution was unanimously passed calling for increased old age pension allowances to an amount commensurate with the cost of living in order to relieve the public assistance authorities of the necessity of augmenting the pensions now being paid?

The Prime Minster

I can find no trace of the receipt of the communication to which the right hon. Gentleman refers.

68. Captain Sir William Brass

asked the Minister of Health the number of old age pensioners who have been in receipt of relief in 1938 or in the first three months of 1939 in the towns of Clitheroe, Great Harwood and Padiham, respectively?

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Mr. Bernays)

I regret that the information desired is not available. The returns made to my Department of the number of persons in receipt of poor relief do not contain separate particulars for parts of an administrative county.

Sir W. Brass

As this is a very important point, will the hon. Member make inquiries and see if it is possible to get the information?

Mr. Bernays

I am afraid the information is not available as these statistics are not kept on the basis for which the hon. and gallant Member asks.

Mr. Thorne

Is the hon. Member aware that the Minister some time ago was collecting information from all parts of the country on this point?

Mr. S. O. Davies

Is not this information in the offices of the public assistance committees throughout the country, and that they are anxious it should be sent on to the Department?

Mr. Bernays

I do not understand that. I understand that these statistics are available for the whole of the county, but not available for parts of the county.

69. Sir W. Brass

asked the Minister of Health the number of old age pensioners in the Lancashire County Council area whose pensions have had to be supplemented by relief during 1938 and the first three months of 1939?

Mr. Bernays

Information in the exact form desired by my hon. and gallant Friend is not available, but on 1st January, 1939, there were 11,000 old age pensioners in the administrative county of Lancaster who were in receipt of poor relief. During the week ended nth March last the number of old age pensioners to whom outdoor relief in money or in kind was granted was 10,484.

Sir W. Brass

In view of the answer which the hon. Member has given, is it not obvious that if the Lancashire County Council have this information for the whole of the county it includes these other towns, and surely it is possible for the hon. Member to find out this information for which we are asking?

Mr. Bernays

I will make inquiries again, but I understand that statistics for parts of the county are not available.

Mr. Silverman

Does the hon. Member suggest that the Lancashire County Council does not know the addresses of the persons to whom it is granting relief?

Mr. Crossley

Can the hon. Member say what proportion the 11,000 bear to the whole number?

Mr. Bernays

I understand it is about 10 per cent.

Mr. Sorensen

Is it not the case that similar questions have been asked in regard to other parts of the country, and is it not in the national interest that this information should be collected?

Viscountess Astor

Will the hon. Member find out who it is that is organising this push for information regarding old age pensioners?

Sir W. Brass

In view of the serious condition which obtains in Lancashire in regard to these old age pensions, could not the hon. Member consider increasing the pensions?

84. Mr. Hopkin

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the terms of the petition from 97 old age pensioners of the Velindre post office district, Carmarthenshire; and what reply he has returned to this petition?

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Captain Crookshank)

The receipt of the petition has been acknowledged and its terms have been noted.

Back to