MR. HERBERT (Buckinghamshire, Wycombe)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, seeing that it is the duty of the Treasury under the Exchequer and Audit Act to see that no money is issued from the Consolidated Fund for payments other than such as are authorised by Parliament, and having regard to the fact that, although the Old-age Pensions Act requires all property of every kind to be taken into account in estimating the means of applicants for old-age pensions, instructions have been issued to pension officers to disregard furniture to the extent of £30 belonging to applicants, it will be the duty of the Comptroller of Exchequer issues before authorising any payment to the Post Office in respect of old-age pensions, and the duty of the accounting officer of the postal department before authorising payments to local post offices, to require evidence that such payments are to be applied only in payment of pensions to persons qualified and at the rate specified 486 by the terms of the Old-age Pensions Act; and whether in order to avoid the possible deadlock that may arise when the money is required for payment of pensions, he will revise the instructions and make them consistent with the provisions of the Old-age Pensions Act.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, Carnarvon Boroughs)No issues will be made from the Exchequer to the Post Office in respect of old age pensions.