Mr. HUTCHISONasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many blind persons are now receiving a pension under the Blind Persons Pensions Act; and how this total compares with the number of blind persons in the country?
§ Major ELLIOTThe number of persons in receipt of pensions under the Blind Persons Act, 1920, on 31st December, 1931, the latest date for which figures are available, was 24,387. According to the latest returns received from the local authorities, the number of registered1644W blind persons in England and Wales was 52,727 on 31st March, 1929. Returns are now being obtained from local authorities of the number of registered blind persons in their areas on 31st March, last. According to unofficial figures obtained from the Counties' Associations for the blind there were 60,598 registered blind persons in England and Wales on 31st March, 1931. The number of registered blind persons in Scotland on 31st March, 1931, was 8,821.