HC Deb 31 July 1939 vol 350 cc1980-1W
Mr. E. Smith

asked the Minister of Pensions what were the actual amounts paid in pensions and allowances during the financial years of 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937?

Sir W. Womersley

The amounts paid in pensions and allowances to all classes of pensioner during the financial years 1934, 1935, 1936 and 1937 were £41,451,480, £40,669,670, £39,613,470 and £38,428,547, respectively?

Mr. E. Smith

asked the Minister of Pensions what number of pensioners have died during 1938; how do the figures compare with those of the civil population; and how many of the widows are in receipt of a pension under the Royal Warrant?

Sir W. Womersley

If, as I presume, the hon. Member has disability pen- sioners in mind, the reply to the first part of his question is the number of deaths from all causes of this class of pensioner of non-commissioned rank, in the financial year ended 31st March last was 7,480. This represents a death rate of 18.9 per 1,000 pensioners. The death rate for the corresponding age group in England and Wales was approximately 12.9 per 1,000. The records of my Department do not enable me to say how many widows of the men who died during the period concerned are now in receipt of pension.

Mr. E. Smith

asked the Minister of Pensions how many men are in receipt of disability pensions for injuries received during the Great War; and the number that are pensioned at 100 per cent., 80 per cent., 60 per cent., 50 per cent., 40 per cent., and 20 per cent., respectively?

Sir W. Womersley

The number of officers and men in receipt of pension for disablement caused by wounds and injuries, as distinct from diseases, on the 31st March, 1939, was approximately 227,900.

The records of my Department do not enable me to give separate figures in respect of wound and injury cases for the various rates, but the total numbers of all classes of disability cases pensioned at the rates specified were as follow:

Per cent.
100 26,703
80 14,010
60 33,088
50 50,911
40 50,253
20 112,600