HC Deb 16 May 1950 vol 475 cc983-4
1. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Minister of Pensions what are the administrative reasons which prevent his Department from protecting disabled ex-Service men, compelled by their disability to use motor vehicles to get to work, from the financial burden imposed on them by the increased cost of petrol.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions (Mr. Simmons)

An annual grant of £45 towards maintenance and running expenses is received by every user of the cars my right hon. Friend has provided, free of tax and insurance, to seriously disabled pensioners. As for the invalid tricycles which are provided and maintained free of charge for other war pensioners, the recent tax on petrol represents an increase in their running costs of only about one-eighth of a penny per mile. The Government do not consider that an additional payment to recipients of cars or a special payment to users of tricycles would be justified. If such a proposal were acceptable in the form suggested by the hon. Member, the administrative difficulties would include discrimination between expenditure incurred in travelling to work and other uses; the considerable variation in the extent of use by different persons; and the virtual impossibility of keeping pace with changing factors.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Can the hon. Gentleman say what is the difficulty in relieving these men in precisely the same way as his right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture is seeking to relieve farmers from the effect of this increase? Is not the effect of his answer that the full weight of this duty will now fall upon that section of the community which it is the prime duty of any Government to safeguard?

Mr. Simmons

I would point out that these cars can be used and driven by persons other than the pensioners. So far as they are concerned, the pensioner can be taken as a passenger, and there would be difficulties. Further, I would point out that the recipients of these cars receive an annual grant of £45 towards their maintenance, and a pension tax free on top of their wages. As an ex-Service man myself, I resent the imputation that ex-Service men are not prepared, with the rest of the community, to make their contribution towards the national economy.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

In view of what the hon. Gentleman has said about the £45 grant, of which I was aware, can he say what is the administrative difficulty in scaling up that grant to cover the increased charge which has arisen since the £45 was given?