§ 51. Mr. STEPHENasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will consider the introduction of legislation to increase old age and widows' pensions to £1 a week and for the abolition of the stamp qualification in view of the hardships resulting therefrom?
Mr. MORRISONNo, Sir. The additional cost of increasing the present contributory and non-contributory old age pensions and widows' pensions to 20s. a week would be about £85,000,000 a year at the present time. The abolition of the stamp qualification, by which I presume the hon. Member means the making of the grant of benefits independent of the payment of contributions, would involve a further substantial increase whose amount would depend on the scope 1591 of the scheme under the new conditions and on whether the principle of contributions survived the change.
§ Mr. STEPHENDoes not the hon. and learned Gentleman consider that this money would be much better spent in providing comfort for these old people than on munitions and instruments of death?
The following Question stood upon the Order Paper in the name of the DUCHESS OF ATHOLL:
46. To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of granting pensions to all single women who have reached the age of 55?
Duchess of ATHOLLMay I point out to my right hon. Friend that inadvertently no weekly sum is mentioned in the question?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIf, as I assume is intended, the rate of pension were 10s. a week, the extra cost of granting pensions to all single women at 55 years of age would be about £12,500,000 a year as regards the period up to the attainment of 70. To this would have to be added the cost of old age pensions at 70 to single women who are not at present entitled to them. I am unable to give an estimate of the amount required for this purpose.