§ 5. Mr. Prenticeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will amend the contributions conditions relating to death grants, so that, upon the death of a mentally-defective adult person, who had been unable to work, a grant will be payable to the parents or guardians.
§ The Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)No, Sir. I would refer the hon. Member to the Report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee, Cmnd. 33, on this point. As he will no doubt be aware, I accepted the advice of the Committee that such persons be covered for death grant on their parents' insurance up to the age of 18, and a provision to raise the age to this figure was approved by Parliament in the National Insurance Act, 1957.
§ Mr. PrenticeWill not the Minister ask the Advisory Committee to have another look at this question? Will he bear in mind the recent case from East Ham which I sent to him in which a man died who had been mentally defective all his life, had never been able to work and had been dependent on his parents for everything? Surely in a case such as that the death grant ought to be paid as in the case of the 878 death of a child? Will not he ask the Committee to look at this question to see whether some amendment is possible?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe distinction is that up to the age of 18 a person can be treated as a child and dealt with for various benefit purposes on his parents' insurance. Beyond 18 he is not a child. I do not think that this is a question for contributory provision.