§ 14. Mr. Iremongerasked the Minister of Social Security how many insured persons are of the Moslem faith and have more than one wife; and what plans she has for legislation to regulate the provision of National Insurance benefits for the dependants of insured persons who embrace the Moslem faith and take wives additional to the one already covered by the insured person's National Insurance contributions.
§ Miss HerbisonThe information requested by the hon. Member is not available. As to the second part of the Question, the National Insurance Scheme provides increases of benefit only for wives of monogamous marriages and I have no plans for change.
§ Mr. IremongerDoes this mean that a Moslem with more than one wife does not have benefits for his second wife? Is that why the information is not available—or is it that a Moslem does have benefits for both wives and we do not know how many?
§ Miss HerbisonA Moslem has benefits for only one wife, as is the case with anyone else in this country.