BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 4 December 1929, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

CONSIDERATION OF BILLS. PENSIONS AND UNEMPLOYED INSURANCE. . (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) LONDON, Dec. 2. In the House of Lords 20 amendments were tabled in committee on the Widows and Orphans- and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill. Lord Onslow moved to limit the widows’ pension to necessitous eases. Lord Buokmaster,. supporting the amendment, said there was no reason why every woman should become a charge on the State because she was widowed. Even the amendment would not go far to say the flood of extravagance -under which ;t'he country would soon be submerged. It was accompanied by a multiplication of Government departments, which was to be feared more than a multiplication of widows.

Several Liberals supported the Government, -but the amendment was carried by 37 votes to 16. A consequential amendment describing necessitous -widows as -those not receiving £250 per annum altogether was carried without a division. Another sub-section was deleted by 33 votes to nine, and the Bill was then passed through committee. The Government does not intend to accept the amendment, a- similar one having been defeated twice already in the House of Commons. The Government’s view is -that the amendment would disqualify a few widows, but would add -considerably to administrative expenses. There was much excitement during the committee stage of the Unemployed Insurance Bill in -the House of -Commons when t-he closure was -moved by Miss Bondfield, Minister of Labour. The motion was carried by only 209 votes- to 196. Nine Left Wing Labourites voted against the Government. Liberals did not vote, though Mi* Baldwin and other Conservatives tried to persuade them to d-o so. The debate was adjourned.