§ 54. Mr. Denzil Freethasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer his estimate of the cost of repaying post-war credits to those persons who are 60 years of age or more and whose credits are £50 or less.
Mr. AmoryThe cost of repaying men of 60 or more and women of 55 or more whose credits are £50 or less would be about £30 million.
§ 55. Mr. Denzil Freethasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer his estimate of the cost of repaying post-war credits to those persons who are 60 years of age or more, and whose credits are £25 or less.
Mr. AmoryThe cost of repaying men of 60 or more and women of 55 or more 1120 whose credits are £25 or less would be about £10 million.
§ 56. Mr. Denzil Freethasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer his estimate of the cost of repaying post-war credits to those persons who are 55 years of age or more, and whose credits are £25 or less.
Mr. AmoryThe cost of repaying men who are 55 years or more and women who are 50 years or more whose credits are £25 or less would be about £25 million.
§ Mr. SpeakerMr. Fletcher.
§ Mr. FreethOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is not one allowed to put a supplementary question?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member had been so self-denying on his previous Questions that I did not think he intended to ask a supplementary question on this one.
§ Mr. FreethThat was so that I could have all the relevant information, Mr. Speaker.
May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will consider the possibility of making some such repayment of post-war credits along these lines, since that would provide the greatest possible benefit to those who need it most at the smallest possible cost to the Exchequer? Will not my right Friend agree that elderly people with small means who have post-war credits are likely to be the people who in their working lives had relatively little and have the least amount of savings?
Mr. AmoryI will take account of the views of my hon. Friend in the course of the review of all financial questions upon which I am now engaged.
§ Mr. E. FletcherIn view of the figure he has given, does the Chancellor of the Exchequer realise that there is an overwhelming case for alleviating the hardship among a great many sections of the community by anticipating the date on which some of these hard-pressed people will receive payment of their post-war credits?
§ 58. Mr. Chetwyndasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will enumerate the administrative difficulties which make it impossible to repay postwar credits in cases of hardship.
Mr. AmoryThe difficulties centre mainly round the necessity of discriminating betwen one form or degree of hardship and another.
§ Mr. ChetwyndWhen preparing the Budget speech which he will make in a few days' time, will the Chancellor of the Exchequer bear in mind that a great many people will be expecting him to tackle this problem seriously? Will the right hon. Gentleman be able to explain why, when it is a question of paying money back, there are always administrative difficulties, but when it is a question of taking money from people those difficulties do not seem to exist?