HC Deb 11 June 1936 vol 313 cc376-8
32. Mr. CROWDER

asked the Minister of Health whether he can make any further statement with regard to the progress made in working out the scheme for voluntary insurance for pension purposes, and for the inclusion in such scheme of a greater proportion of black-coated workers who are now excluded?

Sir K. WOOD

Yes, Sir. Good progress is being made with the preparation of this scheme, although, as my hon. Friend will appreciate, proposals of this nature are inevitably complex and require careful consideration. Legislation in the present Session is not possible owing to the Government's other commitments.

34. Mr. GROVES

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mr. A. M. Gurney, of 118, Maryland Road, Stratford, E., an applicant for an old age pension, has an identification number of 36,404,917; that this long series of numerals causes confusion for applicants; and whether he will issue numbers more easily understandable?

Sir K. WOOD

The length of the pension number is due to the fact that in addition to denoting the particular pensioner it shows the week of the year in which a new order book is issuable and also the year in which the pensioner will attain the age of 70, when the charge for the pension has to be transferred from the Pensions Account to the Vote for Old Age Pensions. The system has now been in use for some years and experience has not shown that it causes inconvenience to pensioners; it is certainly of advantage to them in securing the virtually automatic renewal of their pensions.

43. Major MILLS

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will introduce legislation to alter the present position whereby, in calculating the means of claimants for old age and blind pensions under Section 4 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1919, the yearly value of property, after excluding the first £25, is calculated as being 5 per cent, of the capital value of the next £375 and as being 10 per cent, in respect of all capital value in excess of the first £400, in view of the present cheapness of money and the low rates of interest yielded by British Government securities, including National Savings Certificates?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. W. S. Morrison)

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 12th December last to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Knutsford (Brigadier-General Makins).