§ 64 Miss WILKINSONasked the Minister of Pensions (1) what is the number of occasions since 1920 upon which writing assistants employed by his Department upon the examination of life certificates have appeared in the Courts to give evidence on behalf of the Ministry in connection with prosecutions for fraud, and in connection with which they have had to swear that they had authorised payment of pension or other sums of public money because they had been deceived by a claimant;
(2) what is the number of occasicns since 1920 upon which writing assistants, employed by his Department upon the examination of life certificates, have bad to sign the form referred to as Statement from officer deceived, which declares that a payment was authorised which, if the claimant had declared the actual fact, would not have been authorised?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Lieut.-Colonel Stanley)No records have been kept of the number of occasions referred to, but it has been necessary in a certain number of cases since 1920 for writing assistants to sign statements and give evidence in cases of prosecution for fraud where they have, in the formal process of checking forms, been deceived by false attestations on the part of pensioners and, consequently, the payment of a sum or sums due under the terms of an award already made by higher authority has been continued automatically.