§ 4. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners in Salford are in receipt of a National Assistance supplement.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance (Miss Edith Pitt)I am informed by the National Assistance Board that figures are not available for the County Borough of Salford, since it is part of a much larger area served by two of the Board's offices. In that larger area, 6,541 retirement pensioners and 669 non-contributory old-age pensioners were receiving weekly National Assistance grants on 16th December last. Some of the grants provided for the requirements of a household with more than one pensioner.
§ Mr. AllaunDoes not this very high number, which can be repeated in other areas, Show that the present pension is failing utterly to provide a tolerable standard of existence and that it needs raising immediately to at least £3 a week?
§ Miss PittNo, Sir. The hon. Member will perhaps be comforted to know that the figures which I gave him are lower than the figures for December, 1957. In any event, the retirement pension is now worth more in real terms than at any time before January, 1958.
§ 7. Mr. Bairdasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners in Wolverhampton are in receipt of supplementary grants under the National Assistance Board.
§ Miss PittI am informed by the National Assistance Board that in the area served by the Board's offices in Wolverhampton 4,397 retirement pensioners and 514 non-contributory old-age pensioners were receiving weekly National Assistance grants at 16th December last. Some of the grants provided for the requirements of a household with more than one pensioner.
§ 12. Mr. Warbeyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners were receiving supplementary grants from the Sutton-in-Ashfield office of the National Assistance Board at the latest available date; and 836 how many were receiving such assistance 12 months earlier.
§ Miss PittI am informed by the National Assistance Board that on 16th December last 2,187 retirement pensioners and 146 non-contributory old-age pensioners were receiving weekly National Assistance grants in the area served by the Board's office at Sutton-in-Ashfield, and that the numbers a year previously were, respectively, 2,521 and 168. Some of the grants provided for the requirements of a household with more than one pensioner.
§ Mr. WarbeyAs these figures are still far too high, will the Parliamentary Secretary say when the Government will do something to help the old-age pensioners of today and tomorrow, instead of waiting until the twenty-first century?
§ Miss PittApparently the hon. Member has overlooked that the figures disclose that there are fewer people in receipt of National Assistance now than 12 months ago. I point out to him that the present Government have three times increased the retirement pension and that their record is considerably better than that of his own party.