§ Mr. SUTCLIFFEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the difference in cost between granting pensions at 55 to insured spinsters only and to all spinsters whether insured or not?
§ Lieut.-Colonel COLVILLEThe cost of granting contributory old age pensions to unmarried insured women at 55, instead1064W of at the present age of 65, would be an additional £4,500,000 a year. The further cost of granting a pension to all unmarried women at 55 would be an additional £8,000,000 a year, making a total of £12½ millions, as regards the period up to the attainment of the age of 70, plus the further cost (which I am unable to estimate) of old age pensions at 70 to single women who are not at present entitled to them. Each of the figures mentioned would rise steadily in future.