§ Mr. A. T. DAVIESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether public relief is now being given by seven authorities, namely, Employment Exchanges for unemployment insurance, boards of guardians, local health authorities, insurance committees, local war pensions committees, local education authorities, and Old Age Pension committees; and whether the possibility of administering relief through one authority is, or has been, under consideration in view of the waste involved in the present complex system?
§ Mr. BALDWIN:If my hon. Friend will give me a definition of public relief I will endeavour to answer him, but at present I cannot see why he includes war pensions and excludes Civil Service pensions, political pensions, and Army and Navy service pensions, and I am not clear whether he wishes to make a distinction between free health services rendered to individuals and free health services rendered to households, for example, the removal of house refuse and sewage. I 536W am also inclined to question the propriety of including normal benefits under State schemes of health and unemployment insurance in the category of public relief.