§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the number of men and women of retirement age and above in England and Wales who live respectively in National Health Service or private hospitals, in local authority homes, private homes or hotels, alone, with another retired person, or in a household with people below retirement age.
§ Dr. OwenThe following figures are derived from the 1971 Census of Population:
Persons over pensionable age enumerated: In National Health Service hospitals 167,460 In private hospitals 22,930 In homes for the old and disabled 142,670 In hotels 42,365 Alone 1,929,130 In a household of two persons over pensionable age 2,799,555 In households with persons below retirement age 2,872,625 The figures for persons in hospitals include a small number of resident staff over pensionable age.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the number of women over the age of 60 years and of men over the age of 65 years in England and Wales; how many are in receipt of a national insurance retirement pension; how many are in receipt of a private superannuation pension; how many receive neither; and how many in each of these three categories are in receipt of supplementry benefit, invalidity benefit and attendance allowance, respectively.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownThe available information is as follows. The figures relate to women over 60 and men over 57W 65 in England and Wales in 1973 except where indicated.
Total Number
There were 5,647,000 women and 2,608,000 men.
Retirement pensioners including widows over 60
There were 4,759,000 women and 2,450,000 men, of whom 1,111,0001† women and 467,000* men were in receipt of supplementary benefit and 49,300 men and women were in receipt of invalidity benefit and/or attendance allowance.
Private superannuation including public service pensioners
In 1971, the year to which the latest available estimate under this head relates, there were 2,450,000 men and women of all ages in Great Britain, of whom 255,000 were in receipt of supplementary benefit. The numbers in receipt of invalidity benefit and attendance allowance are not known.
Those not in receipt of retirement or private superannuation pensions
There were about 1 million men and women, of whom about 100,000 received supplementary benefit. The numbers in receipt of invalidity benefit and attendance allowance are not known.
Footnotes:
†including 3,000 wives over 60 whose requirements were included in those for men under 65.
* including 285,000 married men with wives over 60 whose requirements were included in those of their husbands.
§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of places currently provided in local authority homes in England and Wales for elderly people; and if she will list them by counties.
§ Dr. OwenAt 31st March 1973, the latest date for which figures are available, local authorities were providing accommodation under Part III of the National Assistance Act 1948 for 96,669 persons aged 65 and over in their own homes and for 15,178 in voluntary and private homes.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are sending the hon. Member tables showing the numbers accommodated by each local authority.