§ Mr. C. EDWARDSasked the Minister of Health how many blind persons at the age of 50 years are in receipt of the 10s. per week pension promised under the Blind Persons Act, 1920, and the number who were refused for various reasons on reaching that age; the cost of administering this Act; and whether any of the sums collected from the public through the society called the National Institute for the Blind is granted to those in receipt of the pension?
§ Mr. WHEATLEYOn the 31st December last, 10,486 blind persons in England and Wales between the ages of 50 and 70 were in receipt of pensions under Section 1 of the Blind Persons Act, 1920. The total ascertained number of blind persons in England and Wales between the ages of 50 and 70 is 12,430. It is not possible to state the total number of persons who were refused pensions under the Section, but up to the end of last week 420 claims to pension had been disallowed on appeal because the definition of blindness was not complied with. This Section of the Act is administered under the machinery used for the Old Age Pensions Acts, and it is not possible to separate the cost of administration in respect of blind persons. With regard to the last part of the question, I understand that the funds of the National Institute for the Blind are used mainly for purposes quite distinct from the supplementing of pensions.