§ 5. Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what consideration he is giving to improving the whole position of widows with children, so far as their position is his responsibility.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt is the policy of the Government to give special attention to the widow with children. It was for this reason that the Family Allowances and National Insurance Act, 1956, provided that the rate of National Insurance benefit in respect of widows' 6 children should be at a higher rate than that payable in respect of other dependent children under the National Insurance Acts.
This lead has been maintained and, as a result, National Insurance benefit for a widow with three children in now 60 per cent. above the August 1956 level, compared with a 7 per cent. increase in retail prices. Similarly, the proposed relaxations of the earnings limits which I have recently submitted to the National Insurance Advisory Committee provide, as did those approved by Parliament earlier this year, for a larger increase in respect of widowed mothers than for other pensioners. It is our intention to maintain these broad principles in connection with any future changes.
§ Dame Irene WardI thank my right hon. Friend for that rather long and involved reply which relates to cases arising mostly before the General Election. In view of his very sympathetic approach to some cases which I referred to him, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether we have not now to try to approximate the position of widows with children to that of married women, who have the benefit of Income Tax reliefs—perhaps out of all proportion to those of widowed mothers earning on their own account—and whether by extra allowances it would not be possible to encourage widowed mothers to stay at home?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterOn the question of National Insurance benefit, what I said in my Answer and the facts to which I have referred denote our special care in that direction. But, as my hon. Friend knows, questions of taxation are for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and not for me.
10. Mr. Slaterasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much it would cost to increase the basic widow's pension from 10s. a week to £1 a week.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout £4½ million a year.
Mr. SlaterIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the amount of money needed to increase the basic pensions for members of this section of the 7 community is infinitesimal when compared with the great joy that such an increase would bring? Is he aware that in Standing Committee discussions and in speeches made in this Chamber by hon. Members on both sides of the House, there has been agitation for the Minister to give further consideration to the position of these people? Does not the right hon. Gentleman think the time has arrived when he should give to this matter the consideration which it deserves?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentleman must face the fact that the great majority of these widows receive 10s. where widows in identical circumstances, whose only rights are under the present Act, get nothing. What the hon. Gentleman suggests would widen that anomaly in future. Regarding what has been said in this House, may I remind him that his right hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Marquand), speaking on behalf of the Opposition, said that he did not think the grievance of these widows was fully justified.
11. Mr. Slaterasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much the 10s. a week widow's pension has dropped in value since 1951; and how many widows are at present receiving this pension.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterBy about 3s. a week at current prices. This pension is payable to about 138,000 widows.
Mr. SlaterThen would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that, in view of the reduction in the value of money, my argument for an increase has been proved?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThere has been no more proof by the 3s. figure which I gave in my answer than by the 2s. 9d. diminution which took place when the hon. Gentleman's right hon. Friend was Minister.
Mr. SlaterIs not the right hon. Gentleman running away from the position? These people have not received a 10s. widow's pension for a long period. Does not the Minister feel that, in view of the fall of the value of money, he should try to ease the circumstances of these people rather than run away from the problem?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Gentleman himself is running away from the fact, which I am sure he knows, that this was simply a residual right preserved from the old scheme, under which a pension was paid to all widows regardless of circumstances. Under the 1946 legislation a different and, I suggest, a much wiser approach has been made. Simply to increase this pension, retained quite rightly by his right hon. Friend as a reserved right, would be to widen the anomaly between the 10s. widow and the "no-shilling" widow.