§ 51. Mr. OLIVERasked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the number of men of 65 years of age who have been discharged from their employment in consequence of receiving a pension of 10s. per week under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925; and, in view of the fact that many of these men have paid into the Unemployed Insurance Fund for many years and would be entitled, if unemployed, to 24s per week for themselves and their wives, he will consider, particularly in cases where 10s a week only is drawn, as is the case where the wife has not attained the age of 65, the desirability of introducing legislation enabling a man of this age to exhaust his benefit under the Unemployment Insurance Act?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)I have no information as to cases of this kind. The old age pension is, on the whole, a more valuable right for persons over 65 than unemployment benefit, and I cannot undertake to introduce legislation to substitute the latter for tilt% former in particular cases where it may happen to be more favourable, temporarily, to the claimant.