§ Mr. OLIVERasked the Minister of Health whether, under the powers of Section 37 of the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, he will consider the desirability of making Regulations which will permit of payment of pensions to widows left with young children whose husbands, after contributing several, years under the National Health Insurance Act, were for a period before their death exempted from contributions, thus disqualifying the widow and children from pension?
§ Sir K. WOODI presume the reference is to Section 36 of the Act, which gives power to make special orders for the purpose of removing difficulties in bringing the Act into operation. Widows' and orphans' pensions are payable in respect of exempt men as well as insured men. But, if the hon. Member is referring to men who, at the time of their death, had ceased altogether to be within the scope of National Health Insurance, his proposal would involve an extension of the class of persons for whom pensions are provided by the Act and legislation would be necessary to give effect to it.
Captain BENNasked the Minister of Health how many widows over 45 years 867W of age, whose husbands before their death were fully insured under the National Health Insurance Act, have been refused pensions under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act on the ground that they have no dependent children; and how many such widows there are estimated to be?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe information required to answer the first question could only be obtained by a detailed examination of all the individual cases where the award of pension has been refused. In view of pressure of current pensions work I do not think that I can fairly call for such an examination, especially as no such estimate as is referred to in the second question is at disposal.