§ 32. Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that any steps taken by local health authorities to promote the welfare of the elderly will lead to increased Exchequer support for local authority expenditure through Rate Support Grant.
§ Mr. K. Robinson:I would refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16th January that the Government will propose Rate Support Grant for 1969– 70 on the basis of relevant expenditure not exceeding a figure in the region of three per cent. in real terms above what has 296W already been agreed for purposes of the Exchequer contribution in 1968– 69. It will be for each local authority to decide, in the light of this statement of the Government's intention, what resources can be devoted to particular services. I recognise that local authorities may well need to proceed rather more slowly than they would wish with development of general welfare services for the elderly. —[Vol. 756, c. 1591.]
§ 40. Sir C. Osborneasked the Minister of Health what is the total annual cost of all welfare services; how much of this is spent on administration; how many people are employed; and how much is paid in wages and salaries.
§ Mr. Snow:Assuming that the hon. Member is referring to the welfare services provided by local authorities in England and Wales under Part III of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the estimated gross cost in 1966– 67 was about £68 million. The number of staff employed was about 46,000 at a total wages and salary cost of about £31 million. Expenditure brought to account under the heading of administration was about £ 8½ million but this included part of the cost of casework.