§ 105. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that war widows of Army officers are obliged to draw their pensions and child allowances through a bank while other widows draw their pensions through the Post Office; that this imposes expenses for bank charges and other inconveniences on such war widows; and if he will now take steps to enable such war widows to receive their pensions through the Post Office.
§ Brigadier SmythThe general arrangement whereby the Paymaster General pays the pensions of war widows of Army officers by means of vouchers which are negotiable in the same way as ordinary cheques has existed for a long time and is, I understand, convenient to the great majority of these widows. If the hon. and learned Member has in mind any individual case of a widow to whom the present arrangements are causing hardship, I should be happy to take up the question of making some other arrangement in her case.
IMPORTS OF COAL INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM, SOURCE, C.I.F. VALUE, AND AVERAGE C.I.F. VALUE PER TON Country 1952 1953 1954 January to October, 1955 Tons Average c.i.f. value per ton Tons Average c.i.f. value per ton Tons Average c.i.f. value per ton Tons Average c.i.f. value per ton £ £ £ £ India 89,547 9.29 326 2.09 — — — — Belgium — — 180,878 6.24 886,360 5.26 1,323,973 5.48 France — — 341,841 6.29 950,619 5.83 2,590,733 5.65 Germany (W.) — — 22,473 6.37 380,915* 6.21 198,725 6.20 Poland — — — — 257,400 6.04 1,150,726 6.95 Canada — — — — — — 141,733 7.15 U.S.A. 229,991 8.33 — — 478,064 5.76 4,115,280 6.85 Others 14 9.92 5,197 6.74 9,419* 7.85 4,629 3.34 Total 319,552 8.60 550,715 6.28 2,962,777* 5.72 9,525,799 6.34 * Including small quantities of coke and manufactured fuel. Total estimated imports of coal into the United Kingdom for the year 1955 are 12 million tons.