§ Sir JOHN DEWARasked the Lord Advocate if he is aware that the Scotch Local Government Board had decided that where a husband receives parish relief, although the whole sum was used for his maintenance, that this implies relief to his wife, and that the Board had refused in certain cases old age pensions on this ground to women whose names had never been on the poor roll and who have received no poor relief; whether he is aware that the English Local Government Board in similar cases refer the matter to the local guardians, and on their certificate that the relief was entirely used for the maintenance of the husband old age pensions had been granted to the wife; and would he sec that the practice in the two countries was made uniform, so that the Scotch people may not be in a worse position than similar cases in England?
§ Mr. UREWhere the husband of an applicant is in receipt of poor relief it is the invariable practice of the Board to enquire of the parish council whether the relief granted to him was on his account only, or whether in determining the amount of such relief the parish council took into consideration the fact that his wife was dependent on him. Where, however the claimant and her husband are living together and the former is not able to contribute anything towards her own support, it is quite obvious that she must participate in the relief given to her husband. I may add that in accordance with the practice of Scotch poor law even in those cases where a parish council takes the wife into account in the amount of relief given to the husband, her name is not entered on the roll as a separate pauper, and she is entered therein simply as a dependent of the husband. The question involved in these cases is whether the relief 176 was intended for the support of the husband only, or of both husband and wife. Both Departments act upon this view, and endeavour to ascertain the fact by communication with the poor law authorities, and where considered necessary by independent investigation.
§ Sir JOHN DEWARDoes the Lord Advocate say that the Local Government Board cannot reconsider their decision. This is a case where the relief granted to the husband is only 3s. 6d., and, manifestly, it is too little for his own support. In such a case, will the Local Government Board grant a pension to the wife?
§ Sir JOHN DEWARDoes the Lord Advocate know that in a similar case in England the Local Government Board would grant the pension, and will he take steps to have the procedure made similar in the two countries?
§ Mr. UREI am not aware of that. I think the procedure in England is exactly the same as in Scotland. The Local Government Board consult the poor law guardians in the one case and the parish council in the other, and they resort to independent means of investigation if they are not satisfied.
§ Sir JOHN DEWARThe Scotch Local Government Board have never accepted the certificate of the parish council, whilst in England they have done so.
§ Mr. UREI am not aware of it. Wherever the Scottish Local Government Board is satisfied with the statement of the parish council, they accept it.