§ Mr. GOULDasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to, and what steps he proposes to take, respecting the serious position of certain elderly contributors under the contributory pension scheme where unemployed persons over 60 years of 'age are being called upon to become voluntary contributors, thus necessitating the payment by the unemployed person of 1s. 6d. 341W weekly, or in default the sacrifice of the benefits of the Health Insurance Acts, including their pension?
§ Mr. GREENWOODAn insured person who ceases employment after he has attained the age of 60, and is unable to obtain any other employment, will normally have his insurance kept alive without the payment of any contributions until he reaches the age of 65, at which the old age pension becomes payable. Where employment ceased before age 60 insurance continues during unemployment for a period of between 2½ and 3 years, and any return to employment before the end of that time is sufficient to prolong insurance for a further period of similar duration. The general question of the length of time for which insurance can be allowed to continue after the payment of contributions has ceased will be considered in connection with the survey of the insurance schemes which is now in progress.
§ Mr. GEORGE OLIVERasked the Minister of Health whether he possesses any estimate of the numbers of men who lost their employment by reason of their being recipients of pensions under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThere is no information in the possession of my Department on which an estimate could be based.
§ Mr. GEORGE OLIVERasked the Minister of Health whether any data exist in his Department showing the number of men in receipt of pension under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, whose wives have not attained pensionable age?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI regret that there is no information available on this point.
§ Mr. NEIL MACLEANasked the Minister of Health whether he can state the income of the pension scheme under the 1925 Act to the last available date; and the expenditure to the last available date?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe total income of the Pensions Account for England and Wales, established under Section 11 (1) of the 1925 Act, from the commencement to 30th September, 1929, was approxi-342W mately £75,780,000 and the expenditure to the same date was approximately £51,300,000. So far as concerns income and expenditure of the Pensions (Scotland) Account, established under Section 45 (2) of the Act, a question should be addressed to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The State contribution to the Treasury Pensions Account under Section 11 (3) of the Act for the whole of Great Britain is £4,000,000 per annum commencing with the financial year ended 31st March, 1927. The balance in the Treasury Pensions Account at 31st March last was approximately £42,800,000.