§ 49 Mr. BIRDasked the Prime Minister (1) whether in the coroners' lists of starvation deaths for both years 1912 and 1913 there were a number of old age pensioners; how many there were in 1914; (2) whether, in view of his recent refusal to increase old age pensions in time of war with food and coal prices greatly advanced, and seeing that both in 1912 and 1913, in time of peace, numbers of these pensioners then died from starvation, he will cause a circular to be issued advising the guardians to encourage old age pensioners to come to them for medical relief when necessary; and (3) whether, when aged and infirm persons and persons permanently sick or disabled were actually in receipt of relief immediately before they obtained the old age pension, he will advise guardians by circular to put them on the list described in Article 75 of the Consolidated Order of 24th July, 1847, so that they may have tickets for medical relief under Article 76; and will he explain in such circular that food and other necessaries and nursing, if ordered by the doctor, may be given as medical relief without the loss of the old age pension?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The Prime Minister has asked me to reply to these questions. With respect to Question 49, the number of cases in England and Wales was seven in 1912, and eight in 1913, out of a total number of pensioners of nearly 700,000. The returns for 1914 are not yet complete. In answer to the other two questions, I do not think there would be any advantage in issuing the circulars suggested by the hon. Member. Guardians are well aware of the provisions of the Old Age Pensions Acts with respect to medical relief, and of their powers of giving such relief to old age pensioners, and I have no reason to suppose that medical relief is withheld from persons permanently sick or disabled, who are in need of it. The precise form in which such relief should be given is a matter for the guardians.
§ 77. Mr. MEAGHERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the Local Government Board for Ireland, in the case of the claim of Mrs. Maria Doran, of Coolcullen, in the Castle-comer pension sub-committee district, decided that the claimant was not entitled to any pension on an appeal made by the pension officer against the decision of the Castlecomer committee at their meeting held on the 25th March last granting the claimant a pension of 3s. a week; whether, seeing that at a previous meeting, held on 30th July, 1914, the Castlecomer committee went carefully into the means of this claimant and had the advice and opinion of a practical farmer, Mr. John Clear, Coolcullen, on the question of means, and granted this woman, who is a widow and feeble, the full 5s. a week, which decision was also upset by the Local Government Board, who decided she was not entitled to a pension, he will give instructions to have the Castlecomer pension sub-committee informed as to the manner in which the Local Government Board make their calculations of means, so that the committee may not be losing their time needlessly in going into individual estimates when the said estimates are so liable to be upset by the Local Government Board on appeal; and whether, in this particular case, the Local Government Board will forward the Castlecomer committee the particulars on which they estimated the means of the claimant when coming to the decision that she was not entitled to any pension?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)Mrs. Doran's claim has been twice disallowed in the circumstances mentioned. It is not the Board's practice to enter into correspondence with pension committees regarding details of cases appealed against, but the claimant in this instance occupied a farm of 38 acres with a value of £22, and comprising one acre under potatoes, 1½ acres under oats, half an acre under barley, one under roots, seven under hay and twenty-seven under grass. On the farm there were three cows, two horses, two sows for breeding, one pig for fattening and thirty-one fowl. These particulars are already known to the Castlecomer pension sub-committee.