§ Mr. ALBERT LAWasked the Minister of Health when and how he proposes to deal with the widows and orphans of men who contributed to insurance several years before their death where such dependants are at present denied pension under the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Acts, 1926 and 1930?
§ Mr. GREENWOODFresh legislation would be required to provide pensions for the widows and orphans in the cases to which my hon. Friend refers. This question is one of those which fall to be considered by the Cabinet Committee at present engaged in a general survey of the insurance and pensions legislation.
§ Mr. ALBERT LAWasked the Minister of Health if he has any record of the number of widows refused pension whose husbands were contributors to the insurance fund prior to the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1926?
§ Mr. GREENWOOD52,612 applications for pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, received from widows of men who died before 4th January,1366W 1926, have been rejected, but there is no record of the number of cases in which the husband was at some time insured under the National Health Insurance Acts. In the majority of the cases referred to in the question, the widows should become entitled, from 1st July next or on the attainment of the pensionable age after that date, to pensions under the provisions of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1929.
§ Mr. ALBERT LAWasked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of widows in receipt of pension under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts on or near the following dates: 1st July, 1926, 1st July, 1929, and 1st June, 1930?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe number of widows' pensions in payment in Great Britain at or about the dates mentioned by my hon. Friend is as follows:
1st July, 1926 140,500 (approx.) 30th June, 1929 260,821 31st March, 1930 (the latest date for which the desired information is available). 305,106
§ Mr. ALBERT LAWasked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of widows receiving pensions in the first week in June, 1930, as a result of the provisions in the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions (Amendment) Act, which became operative in January, 1930?
§ Mr. GREENWOODUnder the provisions of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1929, widows' pensions were restored to 15,686 widows whose husbands had died before 4th January, 1926, or were over 70 years of age on that date, and who had been awarded pensions under the Contributory Pensions Act of 1925, but had ceased to be entitled to such pensions when the youngest child attained the age of 14½. There is no record at present of the number of these pensions which were still in payment on 1st June, 1930, nor of the number of widows' pensions which, under the provisions of the 1925 Act, were due to terminate between 2nd January, 1930, and 1st June, 1930, but have been con- 1367W tinued as a result of the 1929 Act. The main group of widows' pensions which are provided under the 1929 Act do not become payable before 1st July, 1930.