§ Sir A. Wilsonasked the Minister of Health how many applicants for leave to be insured as a special voluntary contributor under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Acts, 1936–37, have been refused up to date on the ground of non-residence for not less than 10 years as required by paragraph (c) (1) of Section 1 (1) of the Act of 1937; and whether he will consider amending the Act to facilitate its application to bona fide students and other persons whose domicile during the identical period would, for income tax purposes, have often been regarded as the United Kingdom, who were not earning money abroad and who were engaged in professional or other studies of public or professional importance?
§ Mr. ElliotOut of the 560,467 applications for admission to insurance as special voluntary contributors under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions (Voluntary Contributors) Act, 1937, which have already been decided in England, approximately 4,850 1689W have been rejected because of the non-satisfaction of the residence test laid down in the Act. As regards the second part of the question, I am afraid that I could not undertake to introduce amending legislation for the purpose of giving preferential treatment to particular applicants, but I would point out that absence abroad in the circumstances indicated in the question would not ordinarily render the applicant ineligible for admission. The question of eligibility depends upon the facts of the particular case.