§ Mr. GINNELLIn view of the fact that many persons who, on the evidence of the Census Returns, have got old age pensions would not have got any but for that evidence, and of the inability of many applicants to have those Returns examined, will the right hon. Gentleman have that examination made for them in the cases in which it has not yet been done; when a, name is not in those Returns, and the pension officer and committee disagree on the point of age, which opinion is adopted; and whether there is any class of cases of applicants in which he will have the applications reconsidered as a result of the Debate on the 18th instant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn all cases in which no other sufficient evidence of age has been produced, it is the practice of the Local Government Board to require search to be made in the Census Returns, this being done free of charge by officers employed by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise. The committee decide the question of age in the first instance, and, if the pension officer appeals, the Board come to a decision on the evidence and do not adopt the opinion of either party. The answer to the final paragraph of the question is in the negative. If any persons; wish to have their cases reconsidered, and think they can furnish further evidence, they must make fresh claims.
§ Mr. GINNELLIn a case in which the local committee have voted the pension, and it has been disallowed by the Local Government Board, because they say they do not know whether the name is in the Census Returns or not, by whose authority is the pension suspended?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt is suspended by the Local Government Board, because they are of opinion that the applicant has not made out a case, and the onus rests upon him of proving that he is seventy years of age.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHOn what principle do the Local Government Board decide this question when there is no entry in the Census Returns?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWe go a good deal by appearance.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs it a case that, so far as these poor people are concerned, the Debate of last Friday was a mockery?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOh, no.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWAre we to understand that the Local Government Board interview these persons? Is it not a fact that they never see the applicants?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board do not see them themselves, but they see them through their inspectors.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWCan the Chief Secretary state the ground of withdrawal of the old age pension of Patrick M'Dermott, of Barnes Upper, parish of Kilmacrenan?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe pension officer raised the question that M'Dermott had not reached the statutory age, as he was shown by the Census Returns to be only one year old in 1841 and eleven years old in 1851. On appeal, the Local Government Board have decided that the claimant will be entitled to a pension from 1st April next.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Chief Secretary if he could state the grounds upon which the old age pension granted to James Doherty, Kilmacrenan, county Donegal, has been withdrawn?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe. pension in this case was discontinued as the result of a question raised by the pension officer as to the pensioner's age, which was recorded as seven years in the Census Returns of 1851. His name does not appear in the 1841 Census Returns, and no satisfactory evidence that he had attained the statutory age was produced.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Chief Secretary if he could state the grounds upon which the old age pension received by James Boyse, Meenacross, Milford, county Donegal, since January, 1909, has been recently withdrawn?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe pension in this case was disallowed as the result of an appeal by the pension officer to the Local Government Board on the question of age. Boyse's age is recorded in the Census Returns of 1851 as ten years; his name does not appear in the Census of 1841, and no satisfactory evidence that he had attained the statutory age was produced.