§ Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Minister of Health the number of persons per estimated thousand of the population in England and Wales who, at the same date during each of the past four years, respectively, have been in receipt of Poor Law relief?
§ Sir K. WOODThe number per 1,000 of the estimated population of the persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in England and Wales (excluding lunatics in county and borough asylums, persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only and casuals) on the first Saturday in November in each of the years 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927, was 27.3, 32.9, 57.4 and 29.8 respectively.
§ Lieut.-Colonel GADIEasked the Minister of Health how much has been paid by boards of guardians and like bodies for the relief of able-bodied poor each succeeding year from 1920–21 to and including 1926–27?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINFigures based on a classification distinguishing "able-bodied" persons are not obtained. The statistics available show that the cost of out-relief in money and kind given by boards of guardians in England and Wales, to persons ordinarily engaged in2078W some regular occupation and the wives and dependent children of those persons was as follows: Year ended 31st March:
£ 1923 10,387,000 1924 7,273,000 1925 4,964,000 1926 6,539,000 1927 15,100,000 Exact figures for the earlier years referred to are not available, but the estimated figures are as follow:
£ Year ended 31st March: 1921 500,000 1922 8,000,000