HC Deb 27 September 1909 vol 11 cc916-7
Mr. ARTHUR LYNCH

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he was aware that Mrs. Catherine M'Mahon, of Corry's Lane, Kilkee, has been in receipt of a pension under The Old Age Pensions Act, 1908; whether he could say for what reason the same had been discontinued; and was it on the recommendation of Mr. Martyn, the pension officer of the district?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)

I understand that Mrs. M'Mahon was awarded a pension as from the 20th instant by the local pension committee, but that the pension officer has entered an appeal to the Local Government Board on the ground that no documentary evidence of age has been produced and that the census returns of 1841 show no traces of a Catherine in the claimant's family. The pension is not payable pending the award of the Local Government Board, with whom the final decision now rests.

Mr. ARTHUR LYNCH

Has the right hon. Gentleman taken into account the latest reports of the Committee on Public Accounts, and will he continue the pension until a decision has been given with regard to that?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

I do not think that the Public Accounts Committee has dealt with this particular point. In any case, it would not be possible to pay the pension pending the decision by the Local Government Board. The question of refund might arise, and this very often would complicate matters.

Mr. JOHN O'CONNOR

Is documentary evidence necessary to establish a claim, or, in the absence of documentary evidence, would evidence of any other sort establish a claim?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

I can quite conceive other evidence being sufficient to establish a claim, but primâ facie documentary evidence is the best.