§ (1) Where it is necessary, in order to determine the amount of any pension, grant or allowance to be awarded under any Order in Council or Royal Warrant to or in respect of a disabled person, to ascertain the pre-war earnings as defined by the Order or Warrant of that person, it shall be the duty of any person who was an employer of the disabled person during the 3066 period in respect of which the pre-war earnings of the disabled person are to be ascertained and of any other person having any knowledge with respect to the financial circumstances of the disabled man during that period, on being so required by notice issued by or under the directions of the Minister, to furnish in accordance with the directions of the notice any infomation in his possession relating to those earnings or circumstances and to produce to the person so specified any wages-books, records, or other documents in his possession containing any entries with respect to those earnings.
§ (2) If any person fails to comply with the provisions of this Section or furnishes any information which is false or calculated to deceive, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.—[Sir A. Griffith-Boscawen.]
§ Brought up, and read the first and second time.
§ Sir G. TOULMINI beg to move, as an Amendment to the proposed new Clause, at the end of Sub-section (1), to insert
(2) Where the applicant for pension required to furnish proof of his pre-war earnings is unable to do so it shall be the duty of the Minister of Pensions to assume a reasonable amount assessed on other available circumstances.
§ Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENI do not think this is necessary. That is our practice at the present time. I spoke to the Member for East Edinburgh about this, and I understand he was satisfied.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Clause added to the Bill.