§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of claimants who have received free welfare milk in every quarter since June 1970.
§ Mr. AlisonThe estimated numbers of families in Great Britain receiving free welfare milk, following claims on grounds of low income, at the end of each quarter since June 1970 were as follows:
Quarter Ended Number of Families 18th August 1970 … … 1,509 17th November 1970 … … 1,246 23rd March 1971 … … 1,075 22nd June 1971 … … 65,004 21st September 1971 … … 65,907 23rd November 1971 … … 52,466 21st March 1972 … … 47,517 16th May 1972 … … 40,146 22nd August 1972 … … 32,370 21st November 1972 … … 26,269 These figures do not include families receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement where expectant
300WInvestigation into the sensitive area of causes of suicide and attempted suicide raises difficult questions of confidentiality and I doubt whether an official inquiry would be appropriate. I will, however, bear in mind the need for further research, although this should probably be directed at the causes of suicide and attempted suicide in general, rather than in urban areas as such where the rates do not appear to be significant in themselves.
Following is the information:
mothers and young children automatically qualify for free welfare milk without making a separate claim, nor families receiving free welfare milk on grounds of family size.