§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the view of members of the Scottish Old Age Pensioners' Association, Greenock branch, communicated to him by the hon. Member for Greenock, that pensioners' associations should be represented on the appeal tribunals to consider appeals against determinations regarding supplementary pensions; and whether he proposes to agree to this request?
§ Mr. E. BrownI have considered the representations referred to. As my hon. and learned Friend will be aware, the Old Age and Widows' Pensions Act, 1940, provides that the appeal tribunals set up under the Seventh Schedule of the Unemployment Assistance Act, 1934, are to act for the purpose of dealing with appeals in relation to supplementary pensions. The tribunals as constituted under the Seventh Schedule consist of a chairman appointed by the Minister of Labour and two other members appointed1136W by the Assistance Board, one to represent the Board and the other to be selected by the Board from a panel of persons nominated by the Minister to represent workpeople. The Act does not provide for pensioners' associations to be represented on tribunals.
§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many old age pensioners there were in Scotland as at the closing date for applications for supplementary pensions; how many applications were made for supplementary pensions; how many were granted; what was the average weekly amount of the supplementary pensions granted; and how many appeals have been intimated against the determinations as regards supplementary pension?
§ Mr. E. BrownI cannot give a precise figure in answer to the first part of the Question but the latest returns available show that there were in Scotland about 254,000 old age pensioners and 39,600 widows over 60 in receipt of pensions under the Contributory Pensions Acts in the first week of July and 54,756 non-contributory pensioners at 31st March last. Up to and including 5th August, the latest date for which information is available, approximately 132,500 applications for supplementary pensions have been received from pensioners resident in Scotland. At that date all except 7,000 cases had been dealt with and 92,700 supplementary pensions had been granted. Information is not yet available as to the average weekly amount of the supplementary pensions granted but I will let my hon. and learned Friend have the figure in due course. With regard to the last part of the Question, 1,908 appeals had been lodged against decisions on applications for supplementary pensions up to 5th August.