§ Sir WALTER NUGENTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if a number of old men in Ireland to whom pensions had been granted have recently been deprived of those pensions on the grounds that they had misstated their age; and if any disqualifications which had occurred were due to the fact that instructions had been given to pension officers to rely solely on the Census Returns as evidence of age when birth certificates could not be obtained?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEA certain number of Old Age pensioners in Ireland have been disqualified for the reason stated in the first part of the question, in the absence of other satisfactory documentary evidence of age there has been no alternative but to fall back upon the Census Returns; and instructions have been given to the pension officers accordingly.