asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for each year since 1970, how many widows have received (a) no widow's allowance, and (b) reduced widow's allowance, because their husband's contribution record did not satisfy contribution test; and how many of these, in each case, had dependent children.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she could give the most recent estimate of the numbers of widows receiving widow's supplementary earnings-related allowance analysed by (i) the weekly amount of widows' supplementary earnings related allowance paid, and (ii) for each band of payment, according to the number of dependent children.

The estimated numbers of widows awarded widow's supplementary allowance (earnings related addition), analysed by the rate of supplement payable, for the six months ended 30th June 1974, are given below: