Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 5 October 1931.
Mr Harry Day
, Southwark Central
asked the Minister of Health whether he can give the total number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in England and Wales on the last convenient date; and has he any statistics showing the number of rate-aided patients in mental hospitals, casuals, and persons in receipt of domiciliary relief on the same date?
Mr Ernest Simon
, Manchester, Withington
As the answer contains a number of figures in tabular form, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFIOIAL REPORT.
Mr Joshua Ritson
, City of Durham
asked the Minister of Health the number of persons at present receiving domiciliary treatment under the Durham Public Assistance Committee?
Mr Ernest Simon
, Manchester, Withington
The number of persons in receipt of domiciliary poor relief, excluding 363 persons in receipt of domiciliary medical relief only, on Saturday, 26th September, 1931, chargeable to the Durham County Council was 48,911. The figures for the corresponding day in 1928 and in 1929 are not available, as the returns received in my Department prior to 1st April, 1930, related to Poor Law union areas, the boundaries of which were not coterminous with those of the administrative county.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
