§ Mr. Footasked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of persons in England and Wales now in receipt of Poor Law relief and the number of their dependants, together with the corresponding figures in each of the last six years?
§ Sir K. WoodThe total numbers of persons in receipt of poor relief in England and Wales (including dependants but854W excluding rate-aided patients in mental hospitals, persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only and casuals) on Saturday the 5th June, 1937, the latest date available, and on the corresponding day in each of the previous six years, were as follow:
Beginning of June. Number. 1937 … … … 1,047,032 1936 … … … 1,259,681 1935 … … … 1,310,563 1934 … … … 1,359,694 1933 … … … 1,279,076 1932 … … … 1,203,328 1931 … … … 992,350 I regret that information as to the number of dependants included in these figures is not available in my Department.