HC Deb 19 March 1963 vol 674 cc51-2W
Mr. Owen

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people are receiving public assistance in the area covered by his offices at Government Buildings, Ashington, Northumberland.

Mrs. Thatcher

At 26th February last, 5,215 weekly National Assistance allowances were current in the area served by the Ashington office of the National Assistance Board, which covers the urban districts of Ashington, Newbiggin-by-Sea, Amble and Alnwick; a small part of the urban district of Bedlingtonshire; the municipal boroughs of Berwick-on-Tweed and Morpeth; the rural districts of Glendale, Belfort, Alnwick, Rothbury, Morpeth and Norham and Islandshire and part of the rural districts of Castleward.

Mr. Owen

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people are receiving old-age pensions in the area covered by his offices at Government Buildings, Ashington, Northumberland.

Mrs. Thatcher

I regret that statistics relating to the numbers of pensioners are not available for particular areas.

Mr. Owen

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people are drawing National Health benefits in the area covered by his offices at Government Buildings, Ashington, Northumberland, at the nearest convenient date.

Mrs. Thatcher

It is estimated that in the week ended 12th March, 1963, about 2,000 people were drawing sickness benefit from the National Insurance office in Ashington.