§ 4. Mr. Morleyasked the Minister of Pensions the number of widows of the First World War who are now in receipt of alternative pensions.
§ Mr. MorleyWould not the Minister agree that these alternative pensions were given so that the widows should have approximately the same standard of life that they would have had had their husbands not been killed; and, since most of them have not had any increase at all in their pensions in 20 years, has not the purpose of the alternative pension been nullified?
Mr. AmoryI think that the hon. Gentleman knows the story of these pensions. They were discontinued many years ago. When they were discontinued those in receipt of them were allowed to continue to draw their alternative pensions if it was to their advantage to do so. In the past when war pension rates were increased, in 1944 and 1946, no increase was made in these old, discontinued alternative pensions if the recipients were in receipt of a higher rate than they would have been if they had been drawing the standard rate. If they were at the lower rate, they had the advantage of being transferred to the higher rate.