§ Mr. DENNISONasked the Minister of Health if he has received a communication from the Birmingham Local Old Age Pensions Committee expressing concern with the working of the Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1924, and asserting that the restrictions imposed on applicants as to means are a cause of dissatisfaction, which has been intensified by reason of the fact that insured persons of 70 years of age and their wives of that age are now receiving pensions without reference to means and will in January next receive such pensions at 65 years of age, and asking the Government to introduce legislation to provide that uninsured persons at 70 years of age shall have the same privileges as to means as insured persons will have in January next at the age of 65; and what steps does he propose to take in the matter?
Mr. SAMUELI am informed that the Minister of Health has not received a communication from the Birmingham Old Age Pensions Committee in the sense indicated in the first part of the 585W question. In reply to the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Deritend Division (Mr. Smedley Crooke) on the 1st December.