HC Deb 25 April 1910 vol 17 cc190-1W
Mr. VINCENT KENNEDY

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will give directions to the proper authorities, in all cases of appeal under the Old Age Pensions Act, to supply with the decision the reason or reasons for the same; and, if necessary, will he introduce legislation to secure that appeals which are heard in camera, or without notice to the respondent, shall not unfairly prejudice the parties involved by concealing from either the grounds of the decision arrived at?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

The matter is governed by the statutory Regulations, which provide that in all cases of disallowance of claims by local pension committees the grounds of the committee's decision shall be stated. The only other case in which the grounds of a decision are not apparent from the decision itself is that of disallowance by the Central Pension Authority upon appeal of a claim which has been allowed in the first instance by a local pension committee. The question how far reasons can be given in these cases is one for my right hon. Friends the Presidents of the Local Government Boards to decide. On this point I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on Mon- day last by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant to a question by the hon. Member for North Sligo.

Mr. THOMAS O'DONNELL

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in cases where claimants for pensions can produce no documentary evidence of age, pension officers, if satisfied that claimants are of the required age, are still compelled to appeal; if the officer does not appeal in such cases will a supervisor be sent to inquire; and has it ever occurred that this supervisor has required the pension officer to fill a form stating that, in his opinion, the claimant was disentitled on the ground of age, though he had previously reported the contrary?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

As I informed the hon. Member on the 12th inst., in the circumstances described a pension officer is not compelled to lodge an appeal to the Local Government Board against a decision of the local pension committee granting a pension. I have already promised to have inquiry made if particulars are given of any instance where the pension officer's report in such cases has been unwarrantably overruled.