§ 37. Mr. LEEasked the Minister of Health whether he will provide statistics showing the number of orphans receiving benefit under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925; and whether any such orphans have been placed in institutions?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs regards England and Wales 13,019 orphans were in receipt of orphans' pensions on 30th September, 1928, the latest date for which figures are available; as regards the second part of the question some of these pensioners are now in institutions but it is not possible to say how many of them have entered institutions since the pensions were awarded.
§ 38. Mr. LEEasked the Minister of Health whether he will provide statistics showing the number of applications made for pension at 63 years of age and the number being paid to males and females, respectively?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs regards England and Wales 738,398 claims for pensions between the ages of 65 and 70 were received up to the 6th December and at the same date 573,846 pensions had been awarded. It is not possible to give the exact distribution up to date of these pensions as between men and women but it is estimated that 387,156 are awards to men and 186,690 to women.
44. Mr. ROBINSONasked the Minister of Health seeing that contributions 2325 under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, exceed disbursements by more than £20,000,000, whether any sum has yet been paid to the pension fund by the Exchequer?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Exchequer contribution of 4,000,000 a year to the Widows', Orphans', and Cad Age Contributory Pensions scheme has been paid regularly in accordance with Section 11 (3) of the Act. The excess of contributions over disbursements accumulated in the initial years of the scheme will be used, in accordance with the financial provisions of the scheme, in meeting payments falling due from the present year onwards.
§ Mr. MACKINDERWill the Minister use his best influence to prevent the Chancellor of the Exchequer from raiding this Fund?