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?

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.

Following is the answer:

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons at present receiving domiciliary treatment under the Durham Public Assistance Committee?

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.