BRITISH POLITICS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 300, 4 December 1929, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS

WIDOWS’ PENSIONS BILL AMENDMENT IN THE LORDS. UNACCEPTABLE BY GOVERNMENT. (United Pre** Association—By CableCopyright.) (Received 4, 9.55 a.m.) London, Dec. 2. In th© House of Lords twenty amendments were tabled during the committee stage of the Widows, Orphans, Old Age and Contributory Pensions Bill. The Earl of Onslow moved to limit the widows’ pension to necessitous cases. Lord Buckmaster, in supporting the amendment, said there was no reason why every woman should become a charge upon the State because widowed. Even the amendment did not go far to stay the flood of extravagance under which the country would soon be submerged, accompanied hy a multiplication of Government Departments which was to be feared more than the 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 not receiving £250 per annum altogether was carried without division. Another sub-section was deleted by 33 votes to 9. 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 view is that the amendmetn would disqualify a few widows but add considerably to the administrative expenses IN THE COMMONS. GOVERNMENT’S CLOSE CALL. (United Pre** Association—By Cablecopyright.) (Received 4, 10.20 a.m.) London, Dec. 4. In the House of Commons, Mr. A. Henderson told questioners that the exchange of Ambassadors with the Soviet would take place within a few days. Mr. Noel Buxton, in answer to questions, said the Government had no present intention of legislating on nuestions concerning the transference of land to public ownership, security of tenure _ for efficient farmers, or the provision of credit on easy terms. Sir Austen Chamberlain sought a ruling on how far the House could discuss the Irish Free State’s decision not to permit appeals to the Privy Council. The Speaker said questions could not be asked concerning matters which had been delegated to Dominions’ Parliaments and Colonial Assemblies but when action was taken outside the scope of delegated powers affecting the interests of Britain! or the Dominions’ or Colonies’ contractual relations to ward Britain, he could not rule it should not be debated. There was much excitement in the committee stage of the unemployed Insurance Bill, when the closure w I moved by Miss Margaret Bondfield and only carried by 209 votes to 196. Nine left wing Labourites voted against the Government. The Liberals did not vote, though Mr. Baldwin and other Conservatives tried to persuade them to do so. The debate was adjourned.