§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (for Mr. Vincent Kennedy)asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will say whether there is any regulation under which the wife of a man disqualified for a pension merely on account of receipt of outdoor relief is debarred from getting the pension, if otherwise qualified; will he inquire if some eligible pensions have been struck off for this reason, especially in the counties of Cavan and Leitrim; and will he direct their cases to be reinvestigated, with a view to restoring to them their full rights under the Pension Act of 1908?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe matter is governed by section 3 of the Old Age Pensions Act, and there is not, nor is there any power, to make, any regulation on the subject. My right hon. Friend is advised that poor relief given to a husband disqualifies the wife only if she benefits by the relief. The application of this principle to individual cases is a matter for the local pension committee, subject to appeal to the Local Government Board, with whose jurisdiction I have no power to interfere.