§ Mr. STEPHENasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total amount of contributions by employers and workers in Scotland, respectively, under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, the total amount disbursed, and the number of beneficiaries under each part of the Act?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe total amount of contributions paid under the Contributory Pensions Act in Scotland by employers and employed persons in the period 4th January, 1926, to 31st December, 1928, is estimated at £6,753,348. The amounts paid by employers and employés, respectively, are not ascertainable. Having regard to the allocation between employers and employés laid down in Schedule I to the Act, the sum contributed by employers will in the aggregate exceed that contributed by employés. The total amount paid by way of pensions and children's allowances up to 31st December, 1928, is estimated at £4,123,050. Of this sum, £1,361,500 is the estimated expenditure on pensions between the ages of 65 and 70, which did not commence till 2nd January, 1928. Since February, 1928, the weekly disbursements have exceeded the receipts in contributions from employers and employed persons. The numbers of pensions and children's allowances in payment at 1st February, 1929, are as follow: 1955W
Widows 25,918 Orphans 2,476 65–70 Pensions 54,131 Over-70 Pensions payable by virtue of insurance 58,102* Children's allowances 33,936 174,563 * These pensions are paid from the moneys voted under the Old Age Pensions Acts.