§ LORD BEVERIDGEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans for helping persons living on small fixed incomes which have been made inadequate by the rising cost of living, with particular reference to the old people who failed to satisfy the provisions of the legislation dealing with the voluntary contributions towards old age pensions.]
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, we are conscious of the difficulties with which many such people are faced. By far the best way to help them is to safeguard the stability of the economy, and that is the main object of the present economic policy of Her Majesty's Government. I think that we can claim a fair measure of success. In particular, the retail price index has now been fairly steady for nearly two years. As regards the particular question asked by the noble Lord, elderly people who have not paid the contributions necessary to qualify for a National Insurance pension can, if in need, apply to the National Assistance Board, the standard of whose provision is now substantially better than ever before.
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, whilst appreciating his sympathetic reply, I should like to ask whether the noble Earl and his colleagues would look at this matter again. Here is an army of 1111 forgotten men and women who have no organisation to support their claims, and I do not think it is quite fair that this type of pensioner ought to have to go to the National Assistance Board. I would ask the noble Earl: would he look at this matter again?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, I take it that the noble Lord is referring to the class of pensioners mentioned at the end of the Question who cannot come into the contributory scheme at all. I am sure that my right honourable friend the Minister of Pensions will look at their case with every sympathy and will do whatever is possible; but as they are outside the contributory pensions scheme it is difficult to see what practical method can be adopted, other than the National Assistance rates, which are considerably higher than they were before last year.
§ LORD BEVERIDGEMy Lords, while thanking Her Majesty's Government for that information, and while appreciating greatly the efforts made by the Government to deal with want in old age by the public charity of National Assistance—something which I had hoped would have been made unnecessary by now, by social insurance—would they not agree that the sympathetic Answers they have given show the difficulties that are caused, both to social insurance and to private citizens in making provision for their own needs, through inflation destroying the value of money?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government would most wholeheartedly agree with that. I think it is worth pointing out at the same time that, in spite of these difficulties caused by inflation, the real value, both of retirement pensions and of National Assistance, has risen since 1950 by about 30 per cent.
§ LORD AMWELLMy Lords, is there any estimate available of the number of people who do not apply for public assistance because they are too proud to be subject to a means test?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEENo, my Lords, there is no estimate available of the numbers of such people. Various spokesmen, both of the Government and of the Opposition, have made statements urging people not to refuse to apply from motives of that kind.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, would the noble Earl be able to answer this question with reference to his reply to my noble friend Lord Macdonald of Gwaenysgor? In the case of the class of persons he was referring to, does the assistance they can now receive from National Assistance put them in exactly and equally a favourable position as those fully entitled to come under the National Insurance Act?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEDoes the noble Viscount mean the people who are entitled to pensions under the Insurance Act?
§ THE EARL OF DUNDEEYes, certainly.