§ MR. R. ASCROFT (Oldham)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, whether he is aware that a considerable number of Army Reserve men and Army pensioners residing in the borough of Oldham have been recently deprived of a large portion of their quarterly pensions for borrowing small sums of money on the security of their pension certificates of identity; and, whether, seeing that by the Army Regulations, whilst the Army Reserve man forfeits £1 10s. for pledging his certificate, the Army pensioner if in receipt of £5 6s. 6d. a quarter forfeits the whole of such sum, although the offences are similar, he will reconsider the cases on being furnished with particulars, and consider the advisability of taking steps by which it may be made illegal to lend money on such certificates?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. POWELL WILLIAMS,) Birmingham, S.In the case referred to in the Question, a moneylender was found by the police to be in illegal possession of a number of certificates, and he was fined for the offence by the magistrates; 57 Reservists were each mulcted in a month's pay, viz., 15s. 6d., and 11 pensioners each lost a month's pension, averaging £1 7s. 9d.