asked the Minister of Pensions if, in view of the steep rise in the Petrol Duty, he will increase the allowances paid to war pensioners in respect of their motor vehicles, or compensate them in some other way.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the heavy financial burden imposed by the additional cost of petrol on the disabled ex-Service men who are compelled by the nature of their disability to use motor vehicles in order to get to work; and what action he intends to take to compensate them for this.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will compensate disabled persons who secure supplementary petrol on account of their disability for the extra 9d. per gallon which they will now have to pay.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will make an additional allowance to pensioners in receipt of motor cars and tricycles to meet the increased cost of petrol.

These Questions refer to matters which are the responsibility of other Ministers as well as myself, but I have discussed them with my right hon. Friends before replying.

In the Government's view, any exemption from payment of this tax on grounds of hardship would be administratively impracticable. Those seriously disabled war pensioners who have received motor cars from me pay no insurance, or road tax. Moreover, they receive a yearly contribution of £45 towards other necessary expenses and I do not propose to increase this contribution. The invalid motor tricycles supplied to war pensioners and National Health Service patients are maintained free of charge. The petrol consumption of these vehicles is so small that the additional cost of petrol will make no significant addition to the expense of running them.

Can the Minister tell us whether there are not only some 3,000 of these people, whether they are not all disabled in the highest degree, and whether the cost of making a grant to them would not be a very small amount and yet mean much to them?

The circumstances of individual patients vary so greatly, and the mileage done by each also varies so greatly from one to another, that I do not think it would be possible to assess an allowance which would meet all these varying circumstances.

May I ask the Minister to bear in mind that, according to a letter from the National Cripples Reform League, which I have here, in a case known to the secretary the additional cost is estimated to amount to £2 10s., and that this is a serious matter?

Is the Minister aware of the offer made to him in a London evening newspaper last night by a disabled person who cannot afford to run his invalid car any more?

Hon. Members are asking me to make up my mind that there is hardship in some individual case before the tax is levied and before we have experienced the effect on individuals. I should be glad to look at individual cases later on if evidence of severe hardship can be produced, but obviously I cannot say that a general allowance is desirable.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman quite wrong in saying that the tax is not in force, since it came into force at six o'clock on Budget Day?

I beg the pardon of the House if I used the wrong phrase. The tax has certainly not been paid in any substantial amount up to date.

Does the reply of the Minister, that he will look into individual cases, imply that he will review all individual cases where there is shown to be hardship?

It implies that when evidence is available, I will consider that evidence.

In view of the repeated attempts made by my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) and myself, which have been quite infructuous, to obtain an increase in the basic rate of pension for these disabled men, surely the right hon. Gentleman can look into this matter again? We are not asking for a big concession. Will he give consideration to it because, if he does not, it will cause great discontent in many parts of the country? Will not the right hon. Gentleman give an answer to that courteous question?

I have already answered the Questions put by the hon. Gentlemen.