§ 1. Miss Elaine Burtonasked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will reduce the cost of radio licences for all old age pensioners.
§ The Assistant Postmaster-General (Mr. David Gammans)The Government regret that they are unable to give old age pensioners preferential treatment in this respect.
§ Miss BurtonThat is the same answer as one of my hon. Friends received last week. Could not the Assistant Postmaster-General look at the matter again? It is a very small request; it is only asking for a reduction in part. Would he please look at the matter again?
§ Mr. GammansThe licence now works out at two-thirds of a penny a day, and if a reduction were made to a halfpenny it would certainly not make much difference. May I remind the hon. Lady that successive Governments have looked at this very sympathetically, but have always come to the same conclusion.
§ Miss BurtonI am sure the Government would not wish to suggest that any reduction in the expenditure of old age pensioners would not be good at the present time.