20. Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGANasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that instructions are being issued by the Ministry of Pensions notifying pensioners in receipt of service and disability pensions that in future the service pension will be issued from the Service Department concerned and the disability pension by the Ministry of Pensions, and that the service pensions will be paid quarterly and the disability pensions weekly; whether it is anticipated that any economy will be effected by the issue 1114 of pensions by two Departments; and whether he has taken into consideration the inconvenience caused to the pensioner?
§ Major TRYONService pensions which have hitherto been paid weekly with disability pensions by the Ministry of Pensions will in future be paid by the Service Department by which they are granted, and will, I understand, continue to be paid weekly as in the past. The change will effect a substantial economy in administration, and I see no reason to suppose that it will occasion any real inconvenience to the pensioners concerned.
Lieut.-Colonel WATTS-MORGANOwing to the very unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that on the first opportunity on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House I will call attention to this question.