§ 20. Mr. Manuelasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why he expects to recover in 1962–63 £87,000 17 more from the health departments for welfare food services.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterBecause it is expected that the number of milk token books to be issued in 1962–63 will be greater than in 1961–62.
§ Mr. ManuelCan the right hon. Gentleman say, in connection with this agency work of his Department, to how many expectant mothers and children he intends to distribute these welfare foods in 1962–63? Could he say whether a proportion of this added cost to his Department is attributable to payments being made to local government officers in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland who work for his Department?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn reply to the first part of the supplementary question, I cannot give the figures without notice. As to the second part, this is an illustration of the fact that as my Department has done more work it has to receive more pay from the Departments on whose votes these costs are borne.
§ Mr. ManuelIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the difficulty with this assessment is that his Department is so lax in getting up to date? We are dealing in mid-April with figures for 1960. Instead of giving breezy answers to Questions, would the Minister not do something to speed up the work of this Department and get the 1961 figures? Is the Minister not aware that we are having to deal with the figures for 1960, namely, 900,000 expectant mothers and 4 million children, and that we have no opportunity at all of knowing what his Department is catering for in this connection for 1961?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentleman has a perfectly good opportunity, if he wants, of putting a Question on the Paper.
§ Mr. ManuelBut the information should be available in a report.