§ 84. Mr. HAYDN JONESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of fraud, by the impersonation of a deceased pensioner or by one person obtaining two or more pensions, have been detected since the passing of the Old Age Pension Acts?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe required statistics, if obtainable at all, could only be collected with an expenditure of time and labour 790 altogether disproportionate to the value of the information obtained and in view of the demands on the staff of the Customs and Excise Department at the present time, I could not agree to ask them to furnish the statistics.
§ 85. Mr. H. JONESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pension officers there are in the United Kingdom; whether he will consider the desirability of directing the Board of Customs and Excise to dispense with their present Regulations, whereby an old age pension order book must be delivered to the pensioner by the pension officer personally and by arrangement with the Postmaster-General to substitute therein a regulation directing the order books to be sent to the appropriate post offices for delivery by the postmasters; and whether such an amendment of the Regulations would have the effect of releasing about 7C0 officials for service elsewhere, besides effecting a saving of about £100,000 per annum to the State?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe number of pension officers in the United Kingdom is approximately 2,000. The Regulations already provide for the delivery of pension order books by post in certain exceptional circumstances, but a general system of delivery by post, even if it resulted, which I am not prepared to admit, in saving of time, would be open to objection on administrative grounds. As regards the last part of the question, my information is that the amendment of the Regulations suggested would not have the effect anticipated by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. HOGGEDoes my right hon. Friend know that the pension officers now use the postmen in order to discover these old pensioners?
§ 83. Sir E. CORNWALLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can afford local pension committees such definite guidance in the consideration of the grant of additional allowances to old age pensioners suffering special hardship arising from the War that such allowances shall not be refused in the case off such old age pensioners who have some small capital accumulated as the result of their savings, but that such capital shall be considered on the same basis as grants for old age pensions are determined?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe Treasury propose to arrange for the issue of a 791 circular on this point to pension committees very shortly. I shall be pleased to send my hon. Friend a copy of the circular as soon as it is issued.