§ Captain BOURNEasked the Minister of Agriculture if he can state for the years 1914, 1921 and 1924 the number of allotments in England and Wales held under local authorities and the estimated total number of allotments, whether held under local authorities, societies, or private owners, respectively?
§ Captain HACKINGStatistics of the number of allotments in England and Wales at 31st December, 1924, are not yet available, and none were collected for the year 1921. The desired information for the years 1914, 1920 and 1923 is given below:
§ Mr. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAINBy reserve fund it is assumed that the hon. Member means the aggregate amount of the accumulated funds belonging to all the separate approved societies (the membership of which embraces the great bulk of the insured population) and the statutory funds established for those small classes of insured persons who are 1877W not members of approved societies, viz. Deposit contributors, and persons, not previously insured in societies, serving in the Navy, Army and Air Force. The approximate total for Great Britain of such accumulated funds at 31st December, 1923, was as follows:—
£ Invested with National Debt Commissioners 66,000,000 Invested by or on behalf of Approved Societies 40,000,000 Cash at Bank, etc 2,000,000 Apart from the above funds, there are also certain book credits called Reserve Values, created under Section 55 of the National Insurance Act, 1911, and under Section 16 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1920, which will in due course be converted into cash by the operation of the sinking fund set up for that purpose. The approximate amount of Reserve Values outstanding at 31st December, 1923, was 105,000,000
§ Mr. CROOKEasked the Minister of Health the total amount of contributions and the number of insured persons, in each year for Great Britain, including the State grant, since the passing of the National Health Insurance Act?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINStatistics relating to National Health Insurance are published in the Annual Reports of the Ministry of Health and the Scottish Board of Health, from which has been compiled the following statement of the
State-Assisted Schemes. Number of houses under construction. 1st February, 1924. 1st November, 1924. 1st March, 1925. England (excluding Monmonth) … … … 21,068 51,469 51,478 Wales and Monmouth … … … 1,492 3,348 3,108 Totals … … … 22,560 54,817 54,586 Statistics as to houses built by private enterprise without State assistance are obtained half-yearly, and the following
1878Wparticulars asked for by the hon. Member as respects Great Britain to the end of the year 1923. As the explanatory notes accompanying the statistics referred to are rather lengthy they are not here reproduced:
Year Estimated Number of Persons entitled to Benefit. Receipts Contribution. Parliamentary Votes and Grants. £ £ 1912 & 1913 13,164,000 26,571,000 6,395,000 1914 13,687,000 16,797,000 5,737,000 1915 14,094,000 18,283,000 6,457,000 1916 14,847,000 17,784,000' 5,159,000 1917 15,367,000 18,166,000' 5,614,000 1918 15,887,000 18,245,000 7,305,000 1919 15,446,000 18,205,000 8,484,000 1920 15,290,000 22,710,000 10,056,000 1921 15,134,000 25,160,000 11,757,000 1922 15,168,000 25,002,000 8,414,000 1923 15,037,000 26,210,000 6,940,000