§ 56. Commander KINGasked the Prime Minister if he will take steps to remove the disparity between the pensions for widows who have lost their husbands in the country's service and the amount of benefit at present being paid to unemployed women, and between the rate of pre-war pensions for men of His Majesty's Services and the amount of unemployment benefit being paid to men?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINPensions awarded for life do not seem to me comparable with temporary unemployment donation limited to a few weeks. I may add that payment of one does not exclude payment of the other to the same individual.
§ Commander KINGIf 25s. is considered the least on which an unemployed unmarried munition worker can live, does the right hon. Gentleman think that 13s. 6d. per week is enough for a childless widow?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI do not think that we can usefully make any comparison between a temporary unemployment donation and a permanent pension?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe really must get on. I dare say that supplementary questions are of great advantage, but one of the disadvantages of them is that they leave a large number of hon. Members very discontented because their questions are not reached.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI have called upon the hon. Member for Newcastle (Mr. G. Doyle).