§ The powers and duties of the Statutory Committee under the Naval and Military War Pensions, etc., Act, 1915, shall be exercised and performed by that Committee under the control of, and in accordance with, the instructions of the Minister of Pensions, and the Statutory Committee shall render to the Minister of Pensions advice and assistance in respect of any matter on which such advice and assistance is requested by the Minister.
§ Lords Amendment: After"1915"insert the words "other than those relating to separation allowances."
Mr. HENDERSONI beg to move "That this House doth disagree with the Lords in the said Amendment."
This Amendment really strikes at the purpose of the Bill. The object of the Bill is to place pensions, including Statutory Committee's, under one authority—the Pensions Minister. If we allow this Amendment to remain in the Bill it would withdraw from the control of the Minister any supplementation in connection with separation allowances, and we might have 1797 no official dealing with supplementation in connection with one part of the Bill for the Minister and dealing with supplementation for separation allowances under the Statutory Authority, and yet the funds of the Statutory Authority might all have to come out of the Vote, and we feel that that is an anomaly.
§ Lords Amendment disagreed with.