§ 18. Mr. McKibbinasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will state the number of deaths for each year since 1945 of disablement pensioners of the First and Second World Wars, respectively.
§ Mr. PeakeAs the reply contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. McKibbinIf the figures show a rapidly increasing death rate would not that be a reason for giving priority to the war disabled, above all others, as soon it will be too late?
§ Mr. PeakeThere is a steady diminution, through death, of the number of pensioners, especially of the First World War, but the cost of pensions has been maintained at about its post-war level through increases in the rates of pension.
§ Following is the reply:
| Year | 1914 War | 1939 War |
| 1945 | 9,026 | 3,158 |
| 1946 | 9,130 | 3,769 |
| 1947 | 10,311 | 4,524 |
| 1948 | 9,519 | 4,556 |
| 1949 | 10,471 | 4,430 |
| 1950 | 10,398 | 3,836 |
| 1951 | 12,280 | 3,810 |
| 1952 | 10,766 | 3,205 |
| 1953 | 12,084 | 3,311 |