asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will enable disabled married women living with disabled husbands to apply for the new non-contributory invalidity pension.

Non-contributory invalidity pension for disabled married women of working age who are incapacitated to the extent that they are both unable to do paid work and unable to do their own housework will be introduced as soon as possible, under powers already provided in the Social Security Act 1975, as part of our phased programme of benefit improvements. The wife's entitlement to either a contributory or a non-contributory invalidity pension will preclude payment of an increase for a wife with any maintenance benefit paid to the husband.