HC Deb 12 November 1928 vol 222 cc513-4W
Mr. BROMLEY

asked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that guardians of the poor now have to pay extra remuneration to their medical officers in respect of the medical examination of casuals owing to epidemics of small-pox, he will

Number of persons in receipt of
— Institutional relief (including casuals but excluding lunatics in county and borough asylums). Domiciliary relief (excluding persons in receipt of medical relief only). Total.
Union County of Durham … … 6,519 89,447 95,966

The desired information as to scales of relief is not available and could be obtained only through the medium of a special Return from the unions in the county. The use of scales is optional and scales of relief if made do not require my approval. Further, such scales can only be properly used as a general guide and their use does not relieve guardians of their responsibility of assessing the amount of relief required to relieve destitution in each individual case, and in every union the application of the scale of relief depends upon the practice of the guardians and usually upon various more or less complicated rules and conditions relating to it. I do not think, therefore, that the trouble and expense of collecting the information would be justified.

Mr. WHITELEY

asked the Minister of Health the amount of outdoor relief paid to single men in Durham county and the

take steps whereby such extra payments shall be a national charge rather than a local one and borne by his Department?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a previous similar question on Thursday last, of which I am sending him a copy.