§ Mr. G. MACDONALDasked the Minister of Health the number of public assistance committees in Lancashire that apply test work as a condition of granting relief to able-bodied persons, the number of persons in receipt of such relief, and the nature of the work they are called upon to do; if he will give corresponding figures for the whole of England and Wales; and, should such information not be available, whether he will take the necessary steps to procure it?
§ Miss LAWRENCEI am forwarding to my hon. Friend a detailed statement of the latest information available in the Department on the subjects raised in his question, and would like to take this opportunity of explaining that the principles governing the grant of domiciliary poor relief to able-bodied men are contained in the Relief Regulation Order, 1930, and the Circular (No. 1097) which my right hon. Friend issued to the new public Assistance authorities with the Order. My hon. Friend will realise that the new public802W assistance authorities, especially those responsible for the relief of very considerable numbers of able-bodied men, have not yet had time fully to develop their arrangements for training, instructing or setting to work these men, and for this reason the statement is necessarily not complete. The return relates solely to assistance granted in the form of poor relief.