§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why people born between July 1888 and July 1898 are entitled to only 50 per cent. of the death grant whereas those born before July 1888 and after July 1898 receive
676Willustrated by the following examples, which are calculated on the basis of a person on the maximum of the scale for his grade retiring with 30 years' service.
the full grant; and if he will take legislative action to remove the anomaly.
§ Mr. OrmeNo death grant is payable in respect of men born before 5 July 1883 or women born before 5 July 1888, who were over pension age when the national1 insurance scheme was introduced in 1948 and who, therefore, could have paid no contributions towards the grant. A half-rate grant is payable on the death of men born between 5 July 1883 and 4 July 1893, and women born between 5 July 1888 and 4 July 1898, who could have paid only a limited number of contributions under the scheme. An extension of the full grant to these groups has to be weighed against other priorities in the social security field.
§ Mr. Draysonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much it would be necessary to increase the employee's national insurance contribution in order to raise the death grant to £200.
§ Mr. OrmeIf the cost of increasing the death grant to £200 were to be met from the employed earner's share of the class 1 national insurance contribution, this would need to be increased by 0.11 per cent. in 1979–80.