BRITISH PENSIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 71, 21 February 1940, Page 9

BRITISH PENSIONS.

RISING EXPENDITURE. Received February 21, 11.55 a.m. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 20. In moving the second reading of the old-age and Widows’ Pensions Bill, the Minister of Health (Mr W. Elliot) said that, in spite of much that divided the Government from the Opposition, and the many hard words which had to be said lie felt both shared a certain pride in being members of a Legislature which had not been wholly inverted from its own task by the necessities of the war. Continuing, Mr Elliot said the number of persons benefiting had risen from 500,000 when the first Act was passed to 3,000,000 to day. To-day the cost was roughly £100,000,000. Although the proposition that this figure be covered by contributions, taxation provided £65,000,000. Recent events showed an almost universal desire to better the conditions of older people, as was evidenced by the number of local authorities of all political parties which had begun to make grants out of rates to old-age pensioners. The Bill, the Minister said, proceeded upon two principles—first an improvement would he made in the general pensions scheme; second, the responsibility for pensioners would ho assumed by the State and no longer shouldered by local authorities. Dealing with the Bill in detail, Mr Elliot showed that the new proposals would cost an additional £S(J,UOO,OUO.