HC Deb 22 November 1956 vol 560 c1916
21. Mr. Marquand

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish regularly in the Monthly Digest of Statistics the numbers of persons receiving National Assistance, indicating which of them are also receiving various types of National Insurance benefit.

Mr. H. Brooke

This information will, I hope, be published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics for December, 1956, and regularly thereafter.

Mr. Marquand

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that information, may I say that we shall follow it with great interest in view of the fact that the previous Minister of Pensions told the House that the number of retirement pensioners drawing National Assistance was the yardstick by which we could judge the necessity of increasing the retirement pension?