§ 53. Mr. W. BAKERasked the Minister of Pensions whether with regard to contributions in the case of surviving sons who are unable owing to poverty to contribute toward the support of parents who are in receipt of need pensions, he is aware that his Department regularly refuses to regard unemployment as a 209 reason for waiving such contributions; and whether, having regard to the many hard cases in which a potential contributor is unemployed and is without financial means or any immediate prospect of securing work, he will cause the official decision in such cases to be reviewed?
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYI do not think that I can add anything to the answer on this point which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member on the 16th instant, of which I am sending him a copy.
§ Mr. BAKERMay I ask if the Ministry of Pensions will give very careful consideration to this request, on the ground that it is unsatisfactory that people should be held liable to contribute to the family income when they are unemployed and have no chance of getting work.
Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYThat, of course, has been taken into consideration, but the hon. Member seems to forget that the sum given in respect of a deceased son is a fixed sum and remains constant, and the deceased son might not have been able to contribute.