§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 12 March concerning the number of married women aged under 20 years expected to qualify for severe disablement allowance, if he will indicate the nature of the rounding carried out to, and its impact on, the figures quoted; and if he will provide as precise estimates as are possible, with the elimination of all rounding, of the figures given in the earlier answers, including as precise an estimate as is feasible for the number of married women incapacitated before age 20 years who are expected to qualify for severe disablement allowance.
§ Mr. NewtonThe available information permits only broad estimates. I regret that it is not possible to give a more precise indication of the number of married women under age 20 who will newly qualify for severe disablement allowance annually.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the factors that, for the married women incapacitated before age 20 years, make the conditions for severe disablement allowance easier to satisfy than those for non-contributory invalidity pension; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonMarried women who become incapable of work before age 20 will be able to qualify for severe disablement allowance simply on the basis of their incapacity, whereas, at present, they are able to qualify for non-contributory invalidity pension only if they are also incapable of performing their normal household duties.