Oral Answers to Questions — Pensions and National Insurance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 29 June 1964.
Miss Edith Pitt
, Birmingham, Edgbaston
12:00,
29 June 1964
asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance by how much the real value of the pensions and benefits of the National Insurance and Industrial Injuries schemes his improved since October 1951.
Hon. Richard Wood
, Bridlington
As the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, include a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Miss Edith Pitt
, Birmingham, Edgbaston
Would I be right in thinking that all these figures show an increase in purchasing power since 1951? Does this not mark up two credits, one to the Government, who have honoured their pledge that pensioners shall share in the increased prosperity, and secondly, to the management and workpeople who, under a private enterprise system, have brought about the production which has made the increase possible—contrary to what happened when the party opposite was in power?
Hon. Richard Wood
, Bridlington
My hon. Friend is totally correct on all counts.
Mrs. Slater:
Does the hon. Gentleman not realise that none of us is unaware of this death-bed repentance of Tory Members on the back benches, and that this pre-election stunt with no promise of doing anything for these people counts neither here nor outside? Does the right hon. Gentleman not realise that this argu-
| — | October, 1951 | Increase in real value comparing present rate with 1951 rate | |||||||||||
| Present rates of benefit | Rate payable | Equivalent at May, 1964 prices* | Amount (at current prices) | Per cent. | |||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| Unemployed or sick person— | |||||||||||||
| Single man or woman | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 73 |
| Married couple | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 73 |
| Married couple with three children† | 8 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 71 |
| Widow, no children | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 73 |
| Widow, three children† | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 119 |
| Retirement pensioner— | |||||||||||||
| Single person | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0‡ | 2 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 50 |
| Married couple | 5 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0‡ | 3 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 46 |
| Industrial disablement pensioner with pension at 100 per cent. rate (or persons with injury benefit) | 5 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 71 |
| * On the basis of the Retail Prices Index. | |||||||||||||
| †Including family allowances under Family Allowances Act 1945. | |||||||||||||
| ‡The higher of the two rates of retirement pension in payment from the autumn of 1951. | |||||||||||||
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The political party system in the English-speaking world evolved in the 17th century, during the fight over the ascension of James the Second to the Throne. James was a Catholic and a Stuart. Those who argued for Parliamentary supremacy were called Whigs, after a Scottish word whiggamore, meaning "horse-driver," applied to Protestant rebels. It was meant as an insult.
They were opposed by Tories, from the Irish word toraidhe (literally, "pursuer," but commonly applied to highwaymen and cow thieves). It was used — obviously derisively — to refer to those who supported the Crown.
By the mid 1700s, the words Tory and Whig were commonly used to describe two political groupings. Tories supported the Church of England, the Crown, and the country gentry, while Whigs supported the rights of religious dissent and the rising industrial bourgeoisie. In the 19th century, Whigs became Liberals; Tories became Conservatives.
