HC Deb 20 February 1952 vol 496 cc210-1
4. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will now take steps to enable old age pensioners to obtain wireless licences at a rate less than that charged to other citizens.

Mr. Gammans

The Government regret that they are unable to give old age pensioners preferential treatment in this respect.

Mr. Hughes

Has the Minister taken any trouble to inquire what the cost of this concession would be? Does he realise that this class of the community is very hardly hit by the present high cost of living?

Mr. Gammans

Successive Governments have had reluctantly to come to the same conclusion in regard to granting any concession to old age pensioners.

Mr. Tom Brown

In view of the fact that this Question has appeared so frequently on the Order Paper, does not the Assistant Postmaster-General think it about time the Government gave some sympathetic consideration to the plea put forward by old age pensioners?

Mr. Gammans

Both this Government and the previous Government gave very careful consideration and sympathetic consideration to the matter but, for the reasons given in this House on many occasions, they have been unable to do anything about it.

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