Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Pensions and National Insurance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 1 February 1954.
Brigadier Sir John Smyth
, Lambeth Norwood
12:00,
1 February 1954
The vast Majority of the medical examinations requested by the Rock Carling Committee have been concluded and it is hoped to clear the small remainder in the next fortnight or so.
The clinical findings relating to over 5,000 concluded cases are now being collated and the results will be sent to the Committee for consideration as soon as possible. My right hon. Friend would prefer not to prophesy when the investigations, which are of international importance, will be completed. When the final report of the Committee is available, he proposes to study it in consultation with his principal medical advisers and subsequently with his Central Advisory Committee.
With regard to the problem of the ageing pensioner, my right hon. Friend proposes to await the final report of the Committee before reaching a conclusion.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
