§ 4. Mr. Youngerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now amend the special recruitment scheme for teachers, so that a widow can have her late husband's pension disregarded when her special recruitment scheme grant is assessed.
§ Mr. YoungerDoes not the hon. Gentleman agree that it is a very absurd situation that a widow who enters the special recruitment scheme gets a less favourable grant than a married woman, because the married woman's husband's earnings are not taken into account whereas the widow's late husband's pension is taken into account? Could he amend this regulation to enable more widows to enter teaching?
§ Mr. MillanThe provisions for widows' grants were improved about two years ago. I would not accept that they are unfavourably treated. I would say that married women whose husbands are still alive are particularly favourably treated. I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman suggests that we ought to change that.