§ 27. Mr. P. Wellsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons in receipt of retirement pensions have died during the six months ended 30th September, or nearest convenient date.
§ Mr. WellsWithout being partisan, may I ask whether, in view of these 24 figures, the Minister will not anticipate the reports now pending and give this increase before Christmas?
§ Mr. PeakeI am afraid that the numbers of deaths every half-year are an inevitable fact from which we cannot escape.
§ Mr. F. M. BennettIs there any difference between the figures given and the usual annual rate for many preceding years? If not, is not the imputation behind this Question quite disgraceful?
§ Mr. PeakeI did not myself read any imputation behind it. I have no reason to suppose that there is any change in the mortality rates in the last three or four years which is of any significance.
§ Mr. MellishOn a point of order. Has not the hon. Member for Reading, North (Mr. F. M. Bennett) imputed dishonourable motives to my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. P. Wells)? I think this is an important matter. A question of this character is put down to discover how many people who might have been receiving old-age pensions at the increased rate would not get them because of the death rate. This is not a dishonourable Question to ask. Surely the hon. Member for Reading, North should be asked to withdraw what he said.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am bound to say that I could not myself understand what the implication was.