HC Deb 21 November 1955 vol 546 cc1029-30
14. Miss Burton

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he expects to receive up-to-date figures from the National Assistance Board concerning the number of special discretionary allowances paid to old persons to help them to meet fuel costs.

Mr. Peake

The Board informs me that further information will be available in a few weeks' time from a sample inquiry made earlier this month.

Miss Burton

Is it any use asking the Minister what he imagines the old people should do during those few weeks? Is he not aware that, however keen the local branches of the National Assistance Board may be, they have not the power to give additional discretionary allowances for coal beyond what they are giving today? How does he suggest these old people buy their coal this winter?

Mr. Peake

Discretionary additions are, of course, given for a wide variety of purposes and over a very wide field. In 1954, 620,000 cases of discretionary additions were granted. This, of course, is the time of year when discretionary additions for fuel are being given and are on the increase.

Mr. Marquand

Will the Minister not now tell the National Assistance Board that the House of Commons is really anxious about this question of coal prices and would like to get this information quickly and not wait for four weeks? Could it at least, in answer to Questions, say what it has in hand next week?

Mr. Peake

On this Question I was confining my answer to the number of special discretionary allowances. Each year, at the beginning of November, the Board invariably takes a sample of all the cases in which discretionary additions are being granted, and the results of that inquiry will very shortly be available; but I can assure the House that no one receiving assistance at the present time is having the grant of a special discretionary addition delayed on account of the preparation of these statistics.

Mr. Nabarro

Would it not be appropriate that all these questions about coal for old-age pensioners should be remitted to the appropriate place, namely, the National Coal Board?