§ 46. Mr. GILBERTasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the increased cost of living and the consequent reduction of the value of old age pensions, the Government will consider as to further increasing the amount of such pensions; and, if not, whether he will cancel the regulations that any Poor Law relief rendered necessary to any old age pensioner in consequence of the present value of the pension should not invalidate the receipt of an old age pension?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)I am not satisfied that the increase in the cost of living since August, 1917, when the existing scheme for additional allowances of 2s. 6d. a week to old age pensioners came into force has been such as to justify an increase of these allowances; the Poor Law disqualification is not a matter of regulations, but a fundamental principle of the Old Age Pensions Acts, and I am not prepared to introduce legislation to abolish it.