§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIENasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any provision exists for the obtaining by pension committees in Ireland of legal advice, other than official, on the numerous questions of difficulty arising in the course of their administration of the Old Age Pensions Act; whether he is aware that several committees in Ireland desire to test the important question whether decisions of the Local Government Board, in spite of their apparent finality in the terms of the Act, are subject to review by certiorari in the High Court on questions of law, principle, and procedure; and whether any facilities would be granted to one or more pension committees in Ireland, on behalf of the rest, to obtain eminent legal opinion, other than official, on this important question, and, if so advised, to raise the question in the High Court by a suitable test case?
§ Mr. LLOYD-GEORGENo such provision exists, and I do not think it would be desirable to afford facilities to pension committees for taking action, which is not a part of their proper functions.