Captain A. Evansasked the Minister of Health whether he will consider legislation permitting old age pensioners maintained in workhouses and public institutions to retain a small portion of the 10s. each week as pocket money?
§ Sir K. WoodI am afraid that I cannot undertake to introduce legislation for this purpose.
§ Mr. Joelasked the Minister of Health what is the present approximate number of persons in Poor Law institutions who are entitled to receive contributory or non-contributory old age pensions, but who are temporarily disqualified by reason of their maintenance as paupers?
§ Sir K. WoodI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for1888W Preston (Captain Cobb) on the 4th instant, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. Leslieasked the Minister of Health the number of old age pensioners resident in the Sedgefield division of Durham who are at present in receipt of relief from public assistance?
§ Sir K. WoodThe returns made to my Department by public assistance authorities relate to administrative counties and county boroughs as a whole, and particulars for part of an administrative county are therefore not available. The number of old age pensioners in the administrative county of Durham who were in receipt of yrelief on the 1st January last (the latest date for which figures are available) was 8,398.