§ 21. Mr. Osborneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated cost of repaying post-war credits to ex-Service men over 60 years of age who are in receipt of disability pensions.
§ Mr. H. BrookeI regret that the information on which to base such an estimate is not available.
§ Mr. OsborneIs not the House entitled to a reasonable estimate? The number of these men is diminishing by death, and surely it is one case above all where some justice and charity could be granted. Could we not have the figure?
§ Mr. BrookeI am afraid that it would be extraordinarily difficult to sift this particular category out of 9,500,000 holders of post-war credits.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonAs in any case, in the absence of an estimate, the amount involved must be comparatively small, would it not be a good thing to make this small concession?
§ Mr. BrookeAs I think the hon. and gallant Gentleman knows, it has been found impossible to make any distribution of post-war credits on hardship grounds on account of the complete impossibility of satisfactorily defining hardship.