HC Deb 22 April 1975 vol 890 cc281-2W
Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps she proposes to take to relax the earnings rule for widows who are under 50 years of age.

Mr. Alec Jones

National insurance widows' benefits, including the age-related pensions for women who were between the ages of 40 and 50 when they were widowed, or when their widowed mother's allowance ceased, are not subject to the earnings rule.

(1) Places in local authority day nurseries per 1,000 population under 5 (2) Permitted number of children in private day nurseries per 1,000 population under 5 (1) and (2) per 1,000 population under 5
Essex CC 2.3 16.8 19.1
Southend CB 2.1 2.1
England 7.0 6.9 13.9

Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps she is taking to improve the ratio of day nursery places to children under the age of 4 years in the county of Essex.

Dr. Owen

The financial resources available to local authorities do not allow as rapid a development of their social services provision, including that of day nursery places, as they would wish. I imagine that Essex, in common with other authorities, will take account of the claims of day nursery projects in determining their capital priorities, as I shall