§ Mr. D. GRENFELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give an estimate of the cost of a retiring allowance of £1 10s. to every married couple, 652W and £1 to every single person now in insurable employment and over the age of 60 years;
(2) the number of persons over 60 years of age who are engaged in insurable occupations; and how many are engaged in agriculture and domestic service?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENThe present number of persons of 60 years and upwards who are engaged in insurable occupations is about 1,000,000, of whom approximately one-quarter are employed in agriculture and domestic service. This number includes persons aged between 60 and 65 who are not at the moment in employment but are available for work. The additional cost of a scheme extending the present pensions to 30s. a week for a married couple, where the husband is over 60 and normally engaged in insurable employment, and to £l a week for an unmarried insured person of corresponding age is £53,000,000 a year, rising to about £100,000,000 a year.
§ Mr. D. GRENFELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give an estimate showing how much would be saved from unemployment benefits and Poor Law relief if insured persons over 60 years are withdrawn from insured employment and given retiring pensions of 30s. a week and young persons are taken to occupy their places?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENIt is impossible to say to what extent the prohibition of all insured employment in the case of persons over 60, even if feasible, would result in the creation of vacancies for younger persons now unemployed.