§ Mr. SUTCLIFFEasked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that applications for widows' pensions are dealt with as rapidly as possible; and if he has any statistics to show what is the average delay between the date on which the application is made and the date on which the pension is either granted or refused?
Sir H. YOUNGThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, the average time which elapses between the receipt of an application for a widow's pension and the issue of the decision is 26 days.