§ 5. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the number of men and women old-age pensioners, respect- 122W tively, in the Hull area; and what are the numbers in receipt of National Assistance.
§ Mrs. ThatcherStatistics relating to the number of retirement pensions are not available for particular areas, and statistics relating to payments authorised locally by the offices of the National Assistance Board are not available separately for men and women. At 25th September last, 974 non-contributory old age pensions, 810 supplements to such pensions and 11,460 supplements to retirement pensions were current in the area served by the Board's offices in Hull, which comprises the county borough and some adjacent districts. Some of the supplements provided for a household with more than one pensioner.
§ 6. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the number of old-age pensioners on National Assistance in the Hull area who are awarded the special coal allowance; what is the amount of the allowance; how much coal it will purchase; when this allowance was fixed; and whether, in view of the increased cast of coal, he will increase this allowance.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe number of discretionary allowances for extra fuel included in supplements paid by the Board to retirement pensioners in the Hull area is not available. The amount of the allowance depends on the circumstances of the case but is for the most part sufficient to buy an extra half-hundredweight of coal a week at the recently increased prices.