§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will instruct pension officers to furnish Pension Committees, when requested so to do, with a detailed list of how estimates are arrived at when they disqualify applicants for old age pensions, and give the cause of disqualification as means exceeding £ 31 10s. a year?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIn such cases as are referred to in the question, the pension officer is required under No. 10 of the Statutory Regulations to furnish the Committee with,inter alia, "a summary of the income, property and other yearly means of the claimant." Pension officers are fully aware of this requirement, and I am assured that no further instructions in the matter are required. I may remind the 49W hon. Member that a pension officer cannot disqualify a claimant. He merely reports to the local Pension Committee his opinion whether the claimant is or is not entitled to a pension, and if so at what rate.