§ 90. Mr. Elwyn Jonesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many old-age pensioners make use of tobacco vouchers and how many do not; and if he will give an estimate of the approximate cost of providing for the latter milk vouchers of similar value to the tobacco voucher.
§ Mr. H. BrookeAbout 2,300,000 old age pensioners at present receive tobacco tokens and this figure represents about one 227W half of the pensioners in the categories covered by the scheme. To give equivalent benefit to the 2,300,000 pensioners who do not get tobacco tokens would cost about£14 million a year. I would remind the hon. Member that the tobacco token scheme relieves old age pensioners from some part of the post-war increases in Tobacco Duty, and the scheme could not therefore be extended to milk on which no tax or duty is payable.