§ Mr. P. O'BRIEN (for Mr. Hugh Law)asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in cases where a question was raised by a pension officer regarding a pension which has been granted by a pension committee, and which is in course of payment, the pension officer is authorised to withdraw the pension books before any decision has been come to by the Local Government Board; and, if not, will he see that any moneys of which pensioners have thus been improperly deprived are refunded to them in full?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe present rule is that, without the express sanction of the Board of Customs and Excise, pension officers are not allowed to stop payment of a pension in anticipation of a decision of the Committee or the Local Government Board on a "question" raised under No. 17 (2) of the Statutory Regulations; but in individual cases where it appears to the Board that the evidence of disqualification is conclusive, it is their practice under Treasury authority to direct their officers to stop payment. In the event of the decision being ultimately in favour of a pensioner whose pension has been thus stopped, the full amount of the pension stopped (with arrears) would be made good. If the hon. Member will give particulars of any specific cases which he has in mind, enquiry will be made.