§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can see his way to remove the 1,570 pensioners from the Seamen Pensioners Reserve, now being paid their 5d. a day augmentation from Greenwich Hospital charitable funds, to Navy Votes, and so pay the 5d. a day augmentation to 1,570 of the other 1,650 naval pensioners over sixty years of age who are eligible?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs I informed the Noble Lord on 15th May last, a considerable relief has been afforded to Greenwich Hospital funds by the decision that the charge for age pensions to men of the Seamen Pensioner Reserve reaching the552W age of fifty-five subsequently to the 1st April, 1910, should continue to be borne by Navy Votes until such time as they would receive the pension from Greenwich Hospital funds in the ordinary course of selection, and I am not prepared to recommend further relief by the transfer to Navy Votes of the pensions which were awarded before that date. It must be remembered, moreover, that a proportion of the 1,570 men would no doubt in any case already have received the pension from Greenwich Hospital funds even under the new rule.