§ 84. Mr. WINGasked the Pensions Minister if he is aware that the omission of the word "widow" preceding the word" wife "in the first line of Regulation 13 (a), paragraph 49, is causing local war pensions committees much anxiety, as they are unable to grant emergency help as heretofore, while such assistance is still granted, and rightly so, to wife, child, or dependant of a sailor or soldier; and what steps are intended to remedy this omission and place such committees in a position to give help to widows of sailors and soldiers in cases of special medical need as outlined in the above Regulations?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Colonel Sir A. Griffith-Boscawen)My hon. Friend is under some misapprehension, as no power of assisting widows exercised heretofore by the local committees has been withdrawn. Regulation 13 (a) was extended in December last to oases of childless widows whose income does not exceed 15s. a week, and a further extension is now under consideration. This, if approved, will, I believe, meet the cases for which the hon. Member desires assistance.