§ 61 and 96. Mr. GINNELLasked (1) the total number of persons given old age pensions in England and Wales to the end of 1912; the number of cases in which the pension officer appealed against the pension or against the amount of it on the ground of means; the number of these appeals in which the pension was disallowed or reduced; and the scale as to means resulting from this practice and now observed by pension officers; and (2) the total number of persons given old age pensions in Ireland to the end of 1912, the number of cases in which the pension officer appealed against the pension or against the amount of it on the ground of means; the number of these appeals in which the pension was disallowed or reduced; and the scale as to means resulting from this practice and now observed by pension officers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe number of persons to whom old age pensions were granted up to the end of March, 1913, was approximately as follows: England and Wales, 938,900; Ireland, 299,700. With regard to appeals in Ireland, I would refer the hon. Member to Headings 6 and 9 in House of Commons Paper, No. 3, of 1913, which gives all the information which is available. The corresponding figures in English cases are: Appeals by pension officers, 9,888; total rejections on appeal on ground of means, 6,980. It is not understood what practice the hon. Member refers to in the last part of the question. No scale as to means is laid down for the observance of pension officers.