§ 9. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many National Assistance grants were in issue at the Brixton and Kennington area offices of the National Assistance Board at the end of 1951 and 1956, respectively.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am informed by the National Assistance Board that the combined number of weekly National Assistance grants current in the areas served by the Board's Brixton and Kennington Offices was 8,997 at the end of 1951 and 9,193, at the end of 1956.
§ 10. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many National Assistance grants were in issue in the London region at the end of 1951 and 1956, respectively.
§ Mr. NabarroOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask a supplementary question to Question No. 9?
§ Mr. SpeakerNo. We have passed from that Question. We are now on Question No. 10.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am informed by the National Assistance Board that the number of weekly National Assistance grants current in the Board's Inner London Region was 176,000 at the end of 1951 and 185,000 at the end of 1956.
§ Mr. LiptonIf, as the Minister keeps on saying, old-age pensioners have never 10 been so well off as they are today, why is it that more and more of them have to apply for National Assistance? In those circumstances, will he give an undertaking that he is taking note of the situation and will do something about it before the House rises for the Summer Recess?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentleman must not put into my mouth words which I have not used, do not mean, and do not intend to use. As his supplementary question is based on the wholly false hypothesis that I used such words, I feel that the latter part of it does not arise.
§ Mr. NabarroCan my right hon. Friend say whether the trend of the figures which he has given in response to this Question and the previous Question are equally applicable to the country as a whole? Can he say whether London is paying out more or less by way of National Assistance grants than the average for the whole country?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThat involves a number of figures, and I should be grateful if my hon. Friend would table a Question on the subject.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether or not it is a fact that the proportion of old-age pensioners applying for and receiving National Assistance is increasing? If his answer is that the proportion is increasing, how does he reconcile it with his statement that old-age pensioners are better off now than they ever were previously?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentle-knows perfectly well that I used no such expression. I cannot allow the hon. Gentleman to put wholly false words into my mouth. With regard to his supplementary question, however, he will be glad to know that the proportion, on a national basis, of retirement pensioners receiving supplementation from the National Assistance Board is lower than it was in 1952, 1953 and 1954.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsIs it not a fact that since the last pensions increase was given the trend has been upwards and that at the end of 1956 it was greater than it was in 1948?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI cannot give the comparable figure for 1948 without notice. The figures have risen and fallen over the years, among other things, as the right hon. Gentleman knows well, for reasons of the movement in the Assistance scales themselves, and they have certainly increased since the Government last raised the Assistance scales.
§ Mr. LiptonIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.