§ MR. ROGERS (Wiltshire, Devizes)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the right of an applicant for an old-age pension to an opportunity of being heard by the local pension committee in cases of doubt cannot be fully exercised owing to the age and infirmity of many applicants and their inability to travel to any meeting place, and that thereby difficulty is being experienced in rural districts in carrying out the intentions; of Parliament in this respect; and whether, in order to assist local pension committees to obtain an opportunity for the applicant of being heard by a sub-committee or some person or persons acting on behalf of the committee, he will withdraw or modify the regulation which forbids any payment of travelling expenses of a committee or sub-committee out of the Exchequer grant.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I have not received any complaints with reference to this matter and, unless real hardship could be shown to arise, I should not be prepared to take the course suggested, which would mean, I fear, a serious increase in the proportion for the grant for old-age pensions which would be diverted from the payment of pensions to meeting administrative expenses.