HC Deb 24 November 1947 vol 444 cc1716-8

Considered in Committee, under Standing Order No. [King's Recommendation signified.]

[Mr. BUTCHER in the Chair]

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to terminate the existing poor law and to provide in lieu thereof for the assistance of persons in need by the National Assistance Board and by local authorities, and to provide for other purposes (hereinafter referred to as 'the new Act'), it is expedient to authorise:— A. The payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of—

  1. (i) Expenses (including expenses incidental to the giving of assistance) incurred by the said Board under the new Act—
    1. (a) in giving assistance to persons over the age of sixteen whose resources (if any) which are taken into account, including any such resources of any dependants of theirs, are insufficient to meet their requirements and those of any dependants of theirs,
    2. (b) in the provision and management of re-establishment centres and reception centres, and
    3. (c) in making contributions to organisations maintaining such centres,
    and any administrative expenses of the said Board incurred under or by virtue of the new Act;
  2. (ii) any increase attributable to the new Act in the sums payable out of moneys provided by Parliament by way of salaries and allowances to the officers and servants of the said Board, and any expenses incurred under the provisions of the new Act relating to advisory committees and appeal tribunals;
  3. (iii) contributions in respect of accommodation provided by, or by arrangement 1717 with, local authorities under the new Act, being contributions payable for not more than sixty years and of the following amounts—
    1. (a) seven pounds ten shillings, or in Scotland eleven pounds, in respect of a single bedroom,
    2. (b) in respect of any other bedroom, not more than six pounds ten shillings, or in Scotland nine pounds ten shillings, multiplied by the number of persons for whom the room is intended;
  4. (iv) any expenses of a Minister incurred in the exercise of default powers conferred by the new Act;
  5. (v) any increase in the sums payable out of moneys provided by Parliament under the Old Age Pensions Act, 1936, which is attributable to amendments effected by the new Act in the said Act of 1936, being amendments providing that assistance grants and the value of accommodation, maintenance and services are to be left out of account in the calculation of means for the purposes of the said Act of 1936, and amendments relating to the determination of questions arising thereunder, to disqualifications for the receipt of pensions, to the date at which increases of pensions become payable, and to the suspension or resumption of pensions or their increase on a change of circumstances;
  6. (vi) any increase in the sums payable out of moneys provided by Parliament under the National Health Service Act, 1946, or the National Health Service (Scotland) Act, 1947, being an increase attributable to provisions of the new Act as to services to be rendered by local health authorities, as to ambulance services, and as to payments by Regional Hospital Boards in respect of accommodation and facilities provided in premises formerly being part of a workhouse;
  7. (vii) compensation payable under the new Act to persons employed for the purposes of pension committees under the said Act of 1936;
  8. (viii) the administrative expenses of any Government department incurred under the new Act.
B. The payment into the Exchequer of the amounts of reductions attributable to the new Act in the liabilities of any fund for arrears of benefits, pensions or allowances, and of the receipts under the new Act of the said Board or any Minister."—[Mr. bevan.]

9.59 p.m.

Mr. Niall Macpherson (Dumfries)

I would like to draw attention to paragraph A (iii), and to ask the Minister whether, in view of the way in which that paragraph is drawn, he will be prepared during the Committee stage to accept recommendations or to allow consideration of the question whether allowances may be paid over and above those actually foreshadowed in the Bill. If he looks at the Resolution, he will see that it says: (iii) contributions in respect of accommodation provided by, or by arrangement with, local authorities under the new Act,"—

It being Ten o'Clock The CHAIRMAN left the Chair to make his report to the House.

Committee report Progress; to sit again Tomorrow.