HC Deb 20 July 1932 vol 156 cc2268-9
40. Mr. T. THOMSON

asked the Prime Minister if the Government will favourably consider the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the anomalies which exist under the present Old Age Pensions Act, with a view to promoting legislation to remove the same?

The CHANCELLOR of the EX-CHEQUER (Sir Robert Horne)

The Government are not at present prepared to re-open the settlement embodied in the Old Age Pensions Act, 1919.

Mr. THOMSON

Would it not be only in keeping with the rest of the Government's policy in reversing legislation to repeal this Act?

48. Mr. KENNEDY

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the conditions for the receipt of old age pensions are the same in the Isle of Man as in this country: that the Government of the Isle of Man have been paying the pension to Isle of Man residents in this country, and for the last two years have been paying the pension to British residents in the Isle of Man, on the assumption that the British Government would arrange for reciprocity in this matter: and whether, seeing that the effort of the Isle of Man Government to secure this reciprocity has failed, and in consequence the British residents in the Isle of Man are now being denied their pensions, he will explain the reason for the failure to enter into an arrangement?

Sir R. HORNE

The conditions for the receipt of old age pensions in the Isle of Man and this country were formerly nearly (though not exactly) the same, but since the Tynwald Resolution of 22nd November last, authorising the grant of old age pensions to persons in the Isle of Man of 50 years and upwards in certain cases, the conditions are no longer the same. The Isle of Man Government was informed on 1st December, 1920, that the adoption of reciprocal arrangements involved special legislation, which could not be contemplated having regard to the small number of persons affected (namely, 19 Manxmen and 29 Englishmen). In view of the different conditions for the receipt of old age pensions in the two countries at the present time, there is no longer any question of introducing the reciprocal arrangements proposed in 1920.