asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will now introduce legislation so as to provide a widow's pension to all pre-1925 Act widows who have reached the age of 50 but have not yet attained the age of 55.

No, Sir. We propose, however, to continue under the new scheme the concession whereby such widows will preserve their right to a 10s. pension on reaching the age of 55.

Now that some childless widows of 50 do get a widow's pension, is it not time that that was extended to those who have been discriminated against ever since the 1925 Act?

This concession was made to widows by the Labour Government of 1929. The provision of widow's benefit under the new Insurance Act is of an entirely different character, and we cannot undertake any new legislation on the matter now.