HL Deb 03 July 1962 vol 241 cc1195-6

4.16 p.m.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I will, with permission, make a statement about National Assistance. A similar statement is now being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance. The Minister has received from the National Assistance Board proposals under Section 6 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, for further increases in the current rates of National Assistance which came into operation, as the House knows, on April 3, 1961. The Minister has accepted the Board's proposals and has made draft regulations accordingly. Those have been laid to-day and together with copies of an explanatory memorandum by the Board are now available in the Vote Office.

Those draft regulations require the approval of both Houses of Parliament by Affirmative Resolutions. Subject to this approval being given, the regulations will provide for the weekly rates for a single householder to be increased by 4s. from 53s. 6d. to 57s. 6d., for a married couple by 5s. 6d. from 90s. to 95s. 6d., and for adults living as members of somebody else's household by 2s. from 49s. 6d. to 51s. 6d. Appropriate improvements are also proposed for young people and children. As the House will see, when noble Lords have had an opportunity to study the draft regulations, the Board have on this occasion felt that rather more proportionately should be given to the single householder than to other people.

I should add that broadly proportionate increases are also proposed in the special scales relating to blind and certain tuberculous people. The rate for a married couple of whom one is blind will, for example, be raised by 7s. 6d. to £6, and for a single blind person by 6s. to 82s. All the rates I have quoted are, of course, exclusive of rent, for which separate provision will continue to be made.

Subject to the approval of Parliament it is proposed that those now improved rates will be paid from September 24. On the basis of the present numbers of cases their additional cost will amount to about £20½ million in a full year.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, I understand that the draft of the Statutory Order is being laid to-day and that it will be in the Printed Paper Office. Is that so?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

I think it is now in the Vote Office.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

Then one could well reserve any remarks on the statement which has been made until we come to consider that.