HC Deb 23 May 1944 vol 400 cc590-1W
Captain Prescott

asked the Minister of Pensions, of the 15,000 pensions granted to parents since the commencement of the war in respect of the loss of a son or daughter in the Services, how many are payable to widows, how many to widowers and how many in respect of both parents; and, in respect of each category, what is the average pension per week in respect of deceased other ranks and the average pension per annum in respect of deceased officers.

Sir W. Womersley

I could not, without undue research, give the hon. and gallant Member the precise information for which he asks. About 12,000 mothers and 900 fathers are in receipt of pension. The majority would be widows or widowers. Approximately 4,000 pensions have been awarded to two parents jointly, the mother generally being the applicant and payee. The average rate of pension in the case of parents of "Other Ranks" is 12s. 2d, a week, and in the case of parents of officers £52 a year.

Mr. Sutcliffe

asked the Minister of Pensions how many parents who have applied since the beginning of the war for a pension in respect of a son or daughter deceased on active service have received such a pension; and how many of those who have not received it would have done so if there had been a flat rate of pension and no means test.

Sir W. Womersley

The number of applications in Service cases is rather more than 43,000, and about 17,500 awards have been made. In some 4,000 cases the son's death was unconnected with Service, and in the remainder pension was inadmissible because the parents were not in need at the time the application was made. This residue constitutes the field within which a flat rate pension would operate, but I am unable to say how far the field would be covered, because it would depend on the conditions attached to the grant. When a flat rate pension was in force after the last war, it was payable only where the son was unmarried and was under 26 years of age at the commencement of his war service, and when no other pension was paid in respect of him: moreover it was not paid to the parents of officers.