§ Mr. F. ROBERTSasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to section 37: Clause 3, of the German Act, relating to relief of soldiers injured on War service and of their dependants (National Pensions Act), 12th May, 1920; whether he is aware that the Clause recognises that a woman is prevented from following a remunerative occupation by being engaged in the care and upbringing of her children; and whether he will issue instructions to the officers of the Ministry that, in assessing dependants' pensions, any woman with children under the age of 14 shall be deemed incapable of self support?
§ Captain CRAIGThe Clause in the German Act referred to by the hon. Member has reference to pensions for widows, not to pensions for dependants, and provides1698W inter alia, that so long as the widow is incapacitated for work, or is prevented from working on account of the care and upbringing of children, or has attained 50 years of age, she shall receive a pension equal to one-half of that to which her husband would have been entitled in his lifetime if totally incapacitated. If this provision in the German Act is compared with the provisions of the Royal Warrant for widows, it will be apparent that the latter are considerably more generous than the German provisions. Article 11 of the Royal Warrant provides that the minimum pension to the childless widow of a private shall be half the total disablement pension for a man, increasing to two-thirds on her attaining the age of 40: while, as regards a widow with children, the higher rate is payable irrespective of age. As regards dependants other than widows, the German Act does not provide for the recognition of incapacity on the ground indicated, and generally the provisions for dependants are less generous than those of the Royal Warrant.
§ Mr. LUNNasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that Private W. Gibson, No. 47,725, late 3rd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who was taken to an asylum in 1919 as a result of his service in the Great War and was given a pension, barns again been taken to an asylum on 10th March last after an endeavour to earn a livelihood as a boot-and-shoe repairer, and that his mother, Mrs. Gibson, Horbury, near Wakefield, who has several times visited the local War Pensions officer, has not yet received any money; how it is the dependent mother is having to wait so long; and what, steps will he take to expedite payment of the pension?
§ Captain CRAIGI understand that application for a dependants' allowance was not made until the 9th April. My right hon. Friend has, however, taken steps to have the necessary inquiry into Mrs. Gibson's eligibility for an allowance dealt with urgently.