§ 39. Mr. STEPHENasked the Minister of Health the total number of men and women, respectively, over 65 years of age at 1st January, 1928, who have received the old age pension under the 1925 Act up to date, and the number who were in receipt of sickness or disablement benefit whose claims have been disallowed under the new Act either to sickness benefit or to pension?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINOn the latest figures available, the number of persons between the ages of 65 and 70 to whom pensions have been awarded is 523,937, but separate figures of men and women pensioners are not yet available. The information asked for in the second part of the question is not available and could only be obtained by a special examination of the sickness records of the 7,000 approved societies and branches followed by a comparison with the pensions records.
§ Mr. STEPHENIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are a large number of people in that position who have been refused pensions and also sick or disablement benefit?