§ COLONEL LOCKWOOD (Essex, Epping)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Homo Department if he is aware that Warder Martin, of Portsmouth Convict Prison, has been surcharged by the Treasury for an amount paid to him as pension by a Departmental error; and if he can in any way relieve him from a payment that has pressed very heavily upon a man in his position, who has nothing but his pension to rely upon?
§ MR. ASQUITHYes, Sir; it is true that, the first award of a pension for Warder Martin was due to a. miscalculation, and that when the mistake was pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General the Treasury had no option but to reduce the pension, and also, in pursuance of a decision of the Public Accounts Committee, to claim repayment 1911 of the sums already overpaid during the current financial year. To afford as much relief as possible this repayment was, at my request, spread over a period of three years, and I am afraid I cannot see that anything more can be done in Martin's behalf.
§ COLONEL LOCKWOODSo that this man is to be punished for a Departmental error.