§ 50. Mr. LIVINGSTONEasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that under the provisions of the Pensions (Increase) Act no allowances are given for dependent relatives other than wives; and whether he will consider the possibility of so modifying the Act as to give some relief of this kind to unmarried pensioners with dependants?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe statement in the first part of the question is not correct. Section 7 (1) of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1920, provides that a widower or widow with one or more children under 16 years of age dependent on him or her shall be regarded as a married person for the purpose of the means limit under the Act. As has been stated on several occasions in reply to previous questions, considerable concessions were made to pensioners by the Amending Act of 1924, and the Government are not prepared to introduce further legislation on this subject.