§ 26. Mr. Carmichaelasked the Minister of National Insurance why the recent increases in the National Assistance scales are not being paid to a number of Glasgow recipients; and under what section of the National Assistance Act or the subsequent regulations is the Assistance Board permitted to deny the increase to the said recipients.
§ Dr. SummerskillI am informed that all recipients of National Assistance who are entitled to the recent increases are now receiving them. As regards the cases in which the amending regulations have not brought about any increase, I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Ayrshire, Central (Mr. Manuel), on 18th July, but if he has any particular case on which he would like an explanation perhaps he will let me know.
§ Mr. CarmichaelIn regard to the Question put last week and the one which I have put today, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether it is a fact that people who were on the old scale of the public assistance authority in Glasgow are not getting the increase because the scales they formerly received were higher than the national scales? Surely, as the cost of living was responsible for the increase, the people of Glasgow are entitled to it equally with others.
§ Dr. SummerskillAltogether 90.9 per cent. of the people in receipt of assistance in Glasgow are getting it at the higher scale. In those areas where the local authority did pay a scale which was higher than the new scale, certainly there has been no increase.
§ Mr. CarmichaelOn what grounds are they being denied the increase when the principle for increasing the scales was the increased cost of living?
§ Dr. SummerskillOn grounds of equity.