§ Mr. Deanasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the annual cost of providing a constant attendance allowance at the rate of £2 a week through the National Insurance Scheme subject to the same conditions as now obtain in the case of the constant attendance allowance payable under the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
§ Mr. PentlandConstant attendance allowance is paid under the Industrial Injuries scheme as a supplement to disablement pension and is limited to those very severely disabled on account of injury at work or industrial disease. Similar limiting conditions do not apply in the National Insurance Scheme and any allowance of this kind would presumably have to be available to any of the more than 7 million beneficiaries under the National Insurance Act, including pensioners, who could demonstrate a need for it.
The cost would clearly be very high, although in the absence of further information it is not possible to make any precise estimate.