§ 28. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health, in view of the number of elderly people living in houses containing rooms they no longer need, if he would confer with other appropriate Departments with a view to offering inducements to let surplus rooms by ignoring a portion of the rents received for those rooms when assessing the degree of need of National Assistance.
§ Mr. BevanI understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of National Insurance that this suggestion would involve an alteration of the statutory regulations governing the administration of National Assistance. I am not satisfied that such an alteration would in fact have much effect in increasing the amount of housing accommodation available.