§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the number of cases of old age pensions in which the additional 2s. 6d. has been sanctioned by the pension committee but disallowed by the pension officer; the names of the districts, and the number of cases in each district; whether he can state the number of applications for the additional 2s. 6d. refused in Ulster, whether by the pension committee, the pension officer, or both, with the names of the districts and the number of refusals in each district; and whether, since there is no appeal from the decision of the pension officer, he will state what end is served by the bringing of applications before the pension committee?
§ Mr. BALDWINI am unable to understand the hon. Member's question, as the responsibility for granting additional allowances to old age pensioners who are within the Government's scheme rests, not with the officers, but with the local pension committee, subject in certain cases to appeal to the Local Government Board. If the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any actual cases that he has in mind, I will have inquiry made. I have no statistics of the number of applications for additional allowances that have been refused by the pension committees in Ulster.