§ 3. Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether his attention has been drawn to the need for increasing the 25s. weekly allowance to children of widows who continue their education beyond the legal school-leaving age; and what action he will take.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe allowance was increased from 21s. 6d. to 25s. a week last year and war widows receiving the allowance may qualify in addition for a rent allowance and an education allowance for school fees and expenses for each child. I do not feel that these provisions taken as a whole are ungenerous, but I am always willing to look at any individual case in which further help seems to be needed.
§ Mr. ParkerWould it not be much better if there were some statutory arrangement by which an allowance was available for a sixth form boy or girl so that they did not have to be denied partaking in the activities of their school fellows in or out of school, which is now the position if they are the children of a widow?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt is very difficult to generalise. As the hon. Gentleman knows, in connection with the case with which I have been in correspondence with him, there is a very considerable flexibility in this matter to which I made reference in the concluding words of my main Answer.