§ 77. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Minister of Pensions how many of the 191,580 pre-War dependants' pensions in issue are drawn by widows and widowers, respectively; and what has been the diminution in the number of pre-War dependants' pensions in each of the years 1922, 1923 and 1924?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Lieut.-Colonel Stanley)I regret that the records of the Ministry do not enable me to distinguish the number of widows or widowers who are in recept of pension as dependants. The aggregate numbers in receipt of the class of pension referred 2209 to diminished in the year ending March, 1923, by 3,300; in the year ending March, 1924, by 6,300; and in the year ending March, 1925, by 7,750.
§ 78. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Minister of Pensions the number of invalid sisters, brothers and other dependants of men killed in the War or who died as the result of war service who are over 40 years, 50 years and 60 years of age, respectively; and the number of other dependants' pensions that have terminated owing to the death of the recipients in 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1924?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYThe hon. Member refers, I presume, to pensionable dependants other than parents. I regret that I have no precise information as to the ages of this class, but a recent examination of a certain number of cases showed that 29 per cent. were 60 years of age and upwards. The number of pensioned dependants, other than parents, whose pension terminated owing to death, was, for the year ending March, 1923, 115; for the year ending March, 1924, 163; and for the year ending March, 1925, 124. Earlier figures are not available.