§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he could say whether the Local Government Board, in estimating the income of an applicant for an old age pension, calculate assistance given by his or her children, who frequently in Ireland help their parents to enable them to live decently?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have been advised by the Law Officers of the Crown that voluntary contributions to claimants for old age pensions must be reckoned in estimating their income.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYIn cases of this kind, where children are members of the family, is it fair to calculate such assistance as part of the income?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not know whether it is fair, but the Law Officers of the Crown say it is the law.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYIs it done in England?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOh, yes.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYIn industrial towns?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe law is the same in both countries, and there is no differentiation in favour of either one country or the other.
§ Mr. KETTLEIs the administration in the two countries the same?
§ Mr. BIRRELLSo far as appeals are concerned the administration is Irish. I do not know if you want that to go over to England, too.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he can say whether the Local Government Board, in calculating the value of free maintenance in the case of parents who had years ago given up their holdings to their children on their marriage, estimated it in some cases as high as 12s. 6d. a week, and in cases where there may be a family of eight persons; and, if so, whether he would take steps to see that such amount is considerably reduced?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn such cases the Local Government Board take account, as required by the Act, of all the benefits and privileges enjoyed by the claimants, or to which they may be entitled. The amount assessed depends upon the circumstances of each case.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean to say that 12s. 6d. is a fair calculation?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe opinions that families entertain as to the rate of expenditure on aged relatives vary very much, and sometimes the parents receive a higher measure of support and sometimes a lower measure. We cannot enter into that.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYWho has to ascertain what measure of support they are receiving?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat is the business of the Local Government Board when the case comes before them on appeal.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he could say whether the Local Government Board, in estimating the value of a small farm belonging to an applicant for an old age pension, took into account the cost of labour, seeds, manure, foodstuff for stock, and any of the losses incidental to farming, or whether they estimated the value from a schedule of the rent, rates, stock, crops, and quality of the land only?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn estimating the income of a land-holder the Board have regard to all expenditure which it may be necessary to incur for the working of his farm.