§ MR. MARJORIBANKSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, having regard to the serious inconvenience often caused to Government life annuitants by the difficulty of obtaining the signatures of the minister of the parish, or of a justice of the peace, to the certificates of existence required by 10 Geo. IV., c. 24, to enable such annuitants to receive the half-yearly payments due to them, he will consider the propriety of accepting as valid the signatures of the clergy of other recognized denominations as well as those of ministers of parishes?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)Sir, I think that there is some, although not much, 893 ground for the suggestion of inconvenience to annuitants which my hon. Friend puts forward in his Question; and if it becomes necessary to amend the Acts which regulate Government Annuities, I should be inclined to modify the section of the Act, which he has quoted, so as to make the rule for certifying the existence of annuitants similar to that in force for certifying the existence of officers on half-pay or retired pay. But I could not, in the present state of Business, undertake to introduce such a Bill.