HC Deb 19 July 1939 vol 350 cc367-8
Mr. W. Joseph Stewart

It is my privilege to present a petition to this honourable House on behalf of old age pensioners as follows: To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in Parliament assembled: The humble petition of residents of the Houghton-le-Spring Parliamentary Division showeth that much hardship and dire poverty-are prevalent among your petitioners, owing to the inadequacy of the present old age pensions causing many of your petitioners to apply for public assistance, and others to become an expense and burden on their sons and daughters. Wherefore your petitioners pray that your honourable House will as soon as possible bring relief to your petitioners by increasing the amount of the present old age pension, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray that relief by an increase in the amount of the present old age pension will be granted. The petition is signed by 6,504 persons, all of whom are electors in the Houghton-le-Spring Parliamentary Division.

Mr. Ellis Smith

On behalf of 6,625 members of the Co-operative Women's Guild and 6,637 people resident in the Woolwich area, I desire to present a petition to hon. Members of the House of Commons that there should be an immediate increase in old age and widows' pensions.

Mr. Tomlinson

I desire, on behalf of petitioners from the Farnworth Division of Lancashire, numbering 5,027, who are named in the petition, to present a petition, praying that the House may grant facilities for an increase in the old age pension, whereby the poverty which is being sustained as a consequence of its inadequacy may be overcome. And the petitioners will ever pray, as a consequence thereof, that we may do our duty faithfully and well.

Mr. Speaker

I understand that there are a number of other petitions on the same subject. With the approval of the House I will read out the names of the hon. Members presenting them: Mr. Tinker, Mr. Groves, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Burke, Mr. John Morgan, Mr. McEntee, Mr. T. Smith, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Emery, Mr. Pearson, Mr. Woods, Sir William Jenkins, Mr. Alfred Edwards, Mr. Daggar, Mrs. Adamson and Sir Walter Smiles.

Mr. Thorne

May I ask the Prime Minister what he intends to do about these petitions?