§ 4.5 p.m.
§ LORD CHORLEYMy Lords, I beg to move that the Special Order, as reported from the Special Orders Committee yesterday, be approved. These regulations are all of some importance and perhaps I ought to say a word in support of them; I assure your Lordships it will be a very brief one. Your Lordships will recollect that on April 29 last, you gave a Third Reading to and passed the National Assistance Bill. That measure provides for a comprehensive State service of financial assistance according to need, and it replaces a variety of existing services. The new service is to be administered by the National Assistance Board, and in deciding whether a person is or is not in need 932 and as to the extent of his need, the Board, acting through their local officers, must give effect to regulations made by the Minister of National Insurance. But before the Minister can make those regulations, he has to submit them in draft to both Houses of Parliament and obtain approval by an affirmative Resolution. The draft before your Lordships is the draft of the regulations which were debated last evening in another place, found acceptable and approved. I ask your Lordships to adopt this Motion, and substantive regulations in the terms of the draft will then be made to come into operation on July 5. That is the day which is also appointed for the commencement of the National Insurance schemes, the National Health Services Act and the Children Act. So it will become—I am sure your Lordships will agree—a red letter day in the history of social legislation in this country. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Special Order, as reported from the Special Orders Committee yesterday, be approved.—(Lord Chorley.)
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, so far as I know, these regulations are quite acceptable. I believe that they have been worked out very carefully, and I know some of the people who have been concerned in working them out. Certainly we, on this side of the House, have no objection to them.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.