§ 62. Captain Macnamaraasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mr. Copeland, of Warley, Essex, is unable to draw his wife's pension as the latter is in a mental home, in spite of the fact that Mr. Copeland pays for his wife's maintenance in that home; and whether he will take steps to amend the law so as to allow a pension to be drawn in cases such as these?
§ Sir K. WoodI am aware of the facts of this case with regard to which I have been in correspondence with my hon. and gallant Friend. I would point out that if the pension in this case had been a contributory one, that is, a pension resulting from the payment of contributions, the pensioner would not have been disqualified. The disqualification operates only in the case of non-contributory pensions, and I could not undertake to introduce legislation on this subject.