Sir J. DAVIDSONasked the Lord Privy Seal, if pre-War Army and Navy pensioners are required under the Pension (Increases) Act, 1920, to make a declaration of means for the preceding 12 months; if he is aware that many necessitous and otherwise qualified pensioners have been precluded from the benefits of the Act by reason of wages earned during the earlier part of the declaration period; whether he is aware that the making of this declaration tends to defeat the purpose for which the Pension (Increases) Bill was enacted, namely, the relief of necessitous cases; whether, as Army and Navy pensions are paid quarterly in advance, it would be more correct to assume that they are paid for the maintenance and comfort of the pensioner during the coming, and not the bygone, period; and whether, as this question is one not dealt with in the Act itself but in the Regulations made by the different Departments responsible for the payment of pensions under the Act, definite instructions will be given to these Departments that wages earned prior to the date of declaration shall not be permitted to dis-qualif3r the pensioner?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINWhen the means of an applicant have been permanently reduced below those enjoyed by him in the previous year, the Army and Navy Pension Authorities have discretion to adopt his estimated means for the coming year as the basis of assessment. If my hon. Friend has any particular cases in mind in which this discretion does not appear to have been properly exercised, I am sure that the 1151W Secretary of State for War or the First Lord of the Admiralty would be ready to have enquiry made on being furnished with full particulars.