§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will give the number of applicants for National Assistance on the latest possible date, the number of the applicants' dependants and the number of their children, the numbers drawing retirement pension, sickness benefit or unemployment benefit, and the number receiving supplementation while on National Insurance benefit.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithAt 31st January last, the total number of weekly National Assistance grants was 1,877,000. The other information asked for is not yet10W available for a date later than December last, when the total number of weekly grants was 1,857,000. It is estimated that these provided for 379,000 wives, 6,000 other dependants aged over 16 and 436,000 children aged under 16. The numbers, included in the total, which were payable to persons receiving retirement pension, sickness benefit and unemployment benefit were respectively 1,075,000, 136,000 and 43,000, and the total number payable to recipients of these and other National Insurance benefits was 1,322,000.