§ Mr. BARNSTONasked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the estimate of the amount required for England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, for the year ending 31st March, 1913, for the payment of old age pensions and for the administrative expenses in connection therewith, respectively; and what proportion do the administrative expenses bear to the sum expended in payment of pensions in each of the above divisions of the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. MASTERMANWith regard to the estimated cost for the year 1912–13 of old age pensions (including expenses of Pension Committees) in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Armagh on the 22nd February last. As will be seen from page 551 of the Civil Service Estimates, the total administrative expenses, including the expenses of Pension Committees, are estimated at £512,346 for 1912–13. As a great deal of this cost is incurred in central Departments like the Customs and Excise, Post Office, Stationery Office, etc., it is not possible to give definite figures showing the ratio of the cost of administration to pensions paid in the separate countries, but it is estimated that the proportion for each of the three countries taken separately does not vary appreciably from that for the United Kingdom as a whole, viz., a little more than 4 per cent.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Secretary to the Treasury on what grounds the pension officer at Ballina, county Mayo, appealed against the decision of the pension committee of that district awarding a pension of 5s. to Mrs. Mary Maughan, Farranascullogue, Ballina (registered number 1647)?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am making inquiries and will inform the hon. Member of the result.
§ Mr. BOLANDasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state, in the case of Michael FitzGerald, Inch Glebe, Glen-more, in the Caherdaniel pension committee district, how the pension authorities estimated that his means exceeded £31 a year, considering that he had only the grass of a cow and a room in the dwelling-house, a fact of which the pension officer was cognisant before he appealed against the Caherdaniel Committee's decision granting this man the pension on 13th 1627W September, 1911; when the pension officer saw a copy of the deed and considered the grass of a cow and the use of a room in a remote district as means exceeding £31 a year; is it the custom of the pension officer at Waterville to appeal against all pension claims made by those who assign their holdings to any of their children as a marriage portion; and whether, in view of the contents of the deed in this case, will the Local Government Board allow the claim if Michael FitzGerald makes a fresh application?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn disallowing Michael FitzGerald's claim for an old age pension, the Local Government Board had regard to the stock and crops on the farm on which claimant resides. The Board have no information as to the practice of pension officers with regard to assignments, these officers not being under their jurisdiction. In the present case it would appear from the papers submitted to me by the hon. Member that the pension officer saw the deed of assignment. With regard to the last paragraph of the question, it is impossible for the Board to state beforehand what view they may take of a case which might possibly be referred to them on appeal.