HC Deb 09 July 1935 vol 304 cc169-71W
Mr. L. SMITH

asked the Minister of Health the figures showing the Government's share of the financial burden of the able-bodied unemployed in Sheffield and the proportion left to be borne by the Sheffield City Corporation?

Sir K. WOOD

The following statement gives the desired information, the figures being estimates of the annual amounts of the different items:

£
(1) Expenditure of the Council on relief to the able-bodied unemployed to be transferred to the Unemployment Assistance Board (or until the second appointed day, met by the grant under the Unemployment Assistance (Temporary Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 1935) 250,000
(2) Unemployment Assistance to persons already transferred to the Board 930,000
£1,180,000
(3) Contribution by the Council under Section 45 of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934 95,000
(4) Amount of the block grant under the Local Government Act, 1929, appropriate to the £250,000 of expenditure to be transferred to the Board 47,000
(5) Net charge to the Council—difference between (3) and (4) 48,000
(6) Charge to the Exchequer—
(a) Unemployment assistance 930,000
(b) Transferred expenditure under (1) less Council's contribution under (3) 155,000
(c) Block grant appropriate to transferred expenditure47,000
Total of item (6) £1,132,000
(7) £1,132,000=95.9 per cent. of £1,180,000.
£48,000= 4.1 per cent. of £1,180,000.

The cost of relieving able-bodied persons who are outside the scope of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, is not included in the above calculations. Actual figures are not available, but returns made by the Council in 1934 indicate that approximately £58,000 per annum was expended by the Council in respect of persons relieved on account of unemployment who would not be transferred to the Board. The proportion of the block grant appropriate to the £58,000 is £11,000, giving a net figure of £47,000. If this figure of £47,000 be added to the £48,000 shown above, the total future charge to the ratepayers would be £95,000, and the relative proportions of the expenditure to be borne by the Exchequer and by the Council would then be as follow:

Per cent.
Exchequer 92.3
Council 7.7