§ 20 and 21. Captain CLIVEasked the Secretary for War (1) whether, in view of the.good results of paying Army pensioners weekly instead of quarterly, he will consider the possibility of paying them weekly and leaving it to them to ask to be paid monthly or quarterly if they wish, instead of, as now, paying them quarterly and merely inviting voluntary agencies, who 396 have not hitherto responded to the invitation, to undertake the distribution of the pensions weekly; (2) why Army pensions are distributed quarterly instead of weekly, when the latter method is admittedly better; and, if it is done for economy, will he state the amount of money saved annually?
§ Colonel SEELYArmy pensioners are entitled by Regulation to have their pensions paid quarterly in advance, and a great number of them would object to any alteration of the system. Special arrangements can be made in individual cases for payment monthly or weekly. Up to the present time there have been very few cases in which such special arrangements have been asked for, but I am taking steps to give wider publicity to the fact that such arrangements can be made.
§ Captain CLIVEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that those to whom the arrangement would be most beneficial are not the type of men likely to ask for it?
§ Colonel SEELYIt is a difficult question, because these pensioners are entitled by the Regulation to receive their pensions in advance, and it is a great advantage to those who are steady men. In many cases it is desirable that a large sum should not be paid at once, and I am doing all I can to make it known that such an arrangement can be made. But I cannot proceed in the direction indicated in the question without great difficulty.
§ Sir W. P. BYLESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the serious results arising in the case of many men receiving comparatively large sums at long periods, and how much better it would be to pay them weekly?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is the same question in other words.
§ Mr. KINGWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of issuing Regulations to affect future pensioners so as to place them in a different position to existing pensioners?
§ Colonel SEELYI am not quite clear that in a great majority of cases it would be an advantage, as the bulk of the pensioners are steady, respectable men, who prefer to have their pensions quarterly in advance. There are, of course, a minority to whom it is not an advantage, and the matter is full of difficulty.
§ Captain CLIVECannot the right hon. Gentleman revert to the system of weekly payments, unless special arrangements are made?
§ Colonel SEELYIt is a difficult thing to arrange, even if it can be done without legislation. The men are entitled by the Regulations to have their pensions paid quarterly in advance.