Public Social Services (Expenditure) (Hansard, 25 April 1950)

§ Mr. Jay

Following is a statement giving the figures for 1947–48 (actual). As regards figures for 1948–49, the alterations in the structure of the social services which came into effect in July, 1948, make it impossible to continue the return in its present form. I am reviewing the question how information about expenditure on public social services can best be made available in future.

81W

PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
TOTAL EXPENDITURE UNDER CERTAIN ACTS OF PARLIAMENT
(other than expenditure out of loans for capital purposes or out of capital receipts).
NoTE:—This Statement gives the expenditure on Public Social Services in 1947–48. The entry into force on 5th July, 1948 of the National Insurance Acts and National Health Service Acts makes it impossible to give a directly comparable statement for 1948–49. The information provided in this statement is similar to that furnished by Part I of the annual "Public Social Services" return before the war. Reference should be made to the last of those returns (Cmd. 5906 of November, 1938) for comparable expenditure in earlier years and for information as to the general basis on which the return is compiled, but it should be observed that the explanatory notes in that return are not now accurate in all respects and that the list of services has been revised.
SERVICE	ENGLAND AND WALES	SCOTLAND	GREAT BRITAIN	Total number of persons directly benefiting from expenditure included in Column 3. (4)
	1947–48 (1)	1947–48 (2)	Year 1947–48 (3)
(a) Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance Acts:—	£'000	£'000	£'000	England and Wales	Scotland
(i) Unemployment Benefit, etc., General Scheme	21,005	4,827	25,832	12,532,000^*	1,489,000^*
(ii) Unemployment Benefit, etc., Agricultural Scheme	471	69	540	596,000^*	83,000^*
(iii) Unemployment Allowances and Prevention and Relief of Distress	2,313	653	2,966	40,000	(including Scotland)
(b) National Health Insurance Acts	52,609†	6,356†	58,965†	21,473,000^*	2,475,000^*
(c) Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts	222,675	23,890‡	246,565‡	4,952,000	463,000
(d) Family Allowances Act	51,018	7,594	58,612	3,911,000§	582,000§
(e) Old Age Pensions Act-Non-Contributory Pensions	25,282	2,982	28,264	437,000	(including Scotland)
(f) Old Age and Widows' Pensions Act, 1940, etc.; Supplementary Pensions	11,070	1,002	12,072	529,000	(including Scotland)
(g) War Pensions Acts and the Ministry of Pensions Act (War of 1914–18)	32,772	3,555	36,327	756,450	81,820
(h) Pensions (Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act, 1939; Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1939; Pensions (Mercantile Marine) Act, 1942; War Orphans' Act, 1942 and Polish Resettlement Act, 1947 (War of 1939–45)	44,819	5,829	50,648	1,153,690	150,570
(i) Education Acts	222,672	32,532	255,204	7,343,000	1,027,800
(j) Physical Training and Recreation Act	112	17	129	Not available
(k) Acts relating to Approved Schools	2,320	444	2,764	9,187	3,513
(l) Public Health Acts so far as they relate to:—
(i) Hospitals and Treatment of Disease	40,795	4,268	45,063	Not available	Not available
(ii) Maternity and Child Welfare Work	12,816	1,514	17,773
(m) Midwives Acts	3,443
(n) Housing Acts	69,375	11,358	80,733
(o) Acts relating to the Relief of the Poor	54,240	5,274	59,514	565,582	102,657
(p) Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts	7,061	28,28	17,120	128,955	23,623
(q) Mental Deficiency Acts	7,231	Not available
NOTES:—
^*The numbers given are those of persoDs insured under the Acts. Certain classes of persons insured under the National Insurance Act are not, however, erRitled to all the benefits of that Act, e.g., self-employed persons (Class II) are not entitled to unemployment benefit and non-employed persons (Class III) are not entitled to sickness and unemployment benefit.
† These figures relate to the calendar year 1947, the last full year of the operation of the National Health Insurance Acts.
‡These figures refer to expenditure from the Pensions Account, the Special Pensions Account, the Pensions (Scotland) Account and the Special Pensions (Scotland) Account including pensions paid by virtue of the Contributory Pensions Acts to persons over age 70, which, before 1st April, 1947, were included under (e) "Old Age Pensions Acts." Surpluses and deficits in these accounts were dealt with by transfers to and from the Treasury Pensions Account and the Treasury Special Pensions Account, which covered both England and Wales and Scotland, and into which annual contributions were paid by the Exchequer. For the financial year 1947–48 the amount of the Exchequer contribution was £117,025,000.
§These figures relate to the numbers of children in respect of whom allowances were in payment at 31st March, 1948, the numbers of families concerned being: England and Wales, 2,487,000; Scotland, 329.000.