§ 65. Mr. Sumnerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance by what authority it is stipulated on the application form for a retirement pension under the National Insurance Acts that the signature of the applicant may not be witnesed by a relative; and, in view of the fact that this prohibition is unnecessary and unjustified in its implications, whether he will take steps to cancel this prohibition and to substitute the usual legal requirement that the signature may not be witnessed by husband or wife.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe authority is contained in Regulations made under Section 46 (1) of the National Insurance Act, 1946. I have come to the conclusion, however, that the restriction on relatives generally is unnecessarily wide, and that in future the restriction should be confined to husbands and wives. Future prints of the application form will be to this effect. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing this to my attention.