§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the years 1973, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1988 the number of women designated as war widows.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe numbers are as follows:
Number 1973 96,181 1976 86,854 1979 78,621 1982 71,592 1985 64,859 1988 57,751
§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the numbers by the last serving rank, for Army equivalent, of men who died or left the services before 31 March 1973 and whose widows are at present in receipt of the state war widow's pension.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardInformation in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. There are, however, 56,176 widows currently receiving war widow's pension (at quarter ending 30 September 1989) of whom it is estimated about 1,200 are the widows of men who served in the Armed Forces on or after 31 March 1973.