28. Mr. BECKETTasked the Minister of Health how many applications for pension for widows and orphans under the recent Act have had to be refused; and what percentage the refusals are of the total number of applicants?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn order to give an accurate representation of the position it is desirable to show separately the figures relating to applications based on the insurance of persons who died before the commencement of the Act and those relating to applications based on the insurance of men who died after the commencement of the Act. In the first category there have been 46,687 rejections, representing 24 per cent. of the claims made, and in the second category 4,206 rejections, representing 9 per cent. of the claims made.
§ 29. Mr. TAYLORasked the Minister of Health if the dependants of deceased men are treated as eligible for benefit under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act in cases where they would have fulfilled the statutory qualifying condition but for the failure of the employer to pay contributions in respect of the deceased; and whether, if such dependants cannot now qualify for benefit, he proposes to enable such persons to qualify in any amending legislation?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINA pension cannot be awarded under the Contributory Pensions Act unless the statutory conditions are fulfilled, but I would point out that paragraph (e) of Sub-section (1) of Section 30 of the Act allows regulations to be made for enabling, in prescribed cases, contributions which have been paid but not paid on the due dates to be treated as having been so paid for the purpose of a widow's or an orphan's pension. The reference to the regulations which have been made for this purpose is Statutory Rules and Orders, No. 1362 of 1925.
§ Mr. TAYLORDo I take it that in a case where the contributions have not been paid by an employer, the applicant will have an opportunity of paying those contributions, and so qualifying for benefit?
§ 35. Mr. VIANT (for Mr. T. HENDERSON)asked the Minister of Health whether, under Section 33 of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, any reciprocal arrangements have been entered into with His Majesty's Dominions outside Great Britain for health insurance and pensions; and whether a widow and children in receipt of pension and allowances under the Act would forfeit such pension and allowances on migration to Canada?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo reciprocal arrangements under Section 33 of the Contributory Pensions Act have yet been entered into with other parts of His Majesty's Dominions, and in their absence the position is as stated in the latter part of the question. The question is, however, being considered with other related questions by the Imperial Conference.