Major WHITEasked the Secretary to the Treasury if his attention had been drawn to the case of Mrs. M. Slyfield, the widow of Sergeant Slyfield, who, although seventy-four years of age and not able to support herself, had been refused an old 1401W age pension on the ground that, having resided with her husband in India, she had not fulfilled the conditions of residence in the United Kingdom; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the widow of a soldier who has served with her husband abroad should not thereby be debarred from the benefits of the Old Age Pension Act?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEMy attention has been drawn to the case referred to, and I agree that it is one in which hardship is created by the definition of "residence" as it at present stands under the Regulations pursuant to Section 2 (2) of the Old Age Pensions Act. The question of revising that Regulation is being carefully considered, and I hope to be able at a very early date to introduce an Amending Regulation to meet such cases.