HC Deb 02 May 1940 vol 360 cc895-6
62. Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mrs. F. A. Cossens, late of Hotel Verdun, Cheltenham, made application immediately after the death of her husband, in November, 1939, for a widow's pension and that she has had no reply except for formal acknowledgments; that she has a daughter 11 years of age and is entirely without means of support; and whether he will take steps to see that this, and similar, applications are dealt with promptly?

Mr. Elliot

I find that an application for a widow's pension was first received in my Department from Mrs. Cossens on 19th December, 1939. This application was unsigned and uncertified and was, accordingly, sent back to her for completion. It was not returned to the Department until 6th February, 1940. The inquiries necessary to establish title to widow's pension and to an additional allowance in respect of an adopted child necessarily took some time, but I am glad to be able to inform the hon. Member that the documents necessary to enable Mrs. Cossens to obtain payment of the pension and allowance have now been issued. The hon. Member may rest assured that all possible steps are taken to avoid delay in arriving at a decision on application for pension.

Mr. Lipson

While thanking my right hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask whether he is aware that the obvious reason for putting this Question was to get the matter expedited? Would it not be possible for this to be done without the intervention of a Member of Parliament?

Mr. Elliot

I think that question is a little unfair. I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman found it necessary to put down a Parliamentary Question, because the effect of his intervention was to withdraw staff from their normal work and thus to delay the determination, not only of the particular application in which the hon. Member is interested, but also of the many thousands of other applications now before the Department.

Mr. Silverman

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that periods of delay as long as this are occurring in large numbers of cases all over the country?

Mr. Elliot

Yes, Sir. I know that various delays are occurring, partly because of difficulties of which the hon. Gentleman is aware in relation to transfer of the office to a different part of the country, and partly to questions in connection with the new Act recently passed by this House. We are doing our utmost to catch up.