§ 73. Mr. BATEYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give an estimate of the yearly cost of giving a pension of 10s. per week to the wives of all old age pensioners who have reached the age of 65 years, although the wife may not have reached that age?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. W. S. Morrison)I estimate that the cost would be £6,500,000 a year, rising to £8,000,000 a year in 10 years' time. This estimate does not include the further extensions which would appear to be inevitable if 611 the proposal were adopted and which would probably more than double the expenditure.