§ Sir J. SIMONasked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the desirability, while observing the principle that awards of Civil List pensions are only made in cases when financial need is combined with personal merit or public service, of sparing those who receive them the formal and public announcement that the pension is not granted entirely in consequence of personal merit or public service but also because of their financial circumstances?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am in general agreement with this proposal and, before receiving the right hon. and learned Member's question, I had already arranged that, without any alteration of the system under which awards are made, or of the wording of the Royal Warrant, the form of the annual Return to Parliament should be altered for the future in the direction suggested, so that recipients may be spared the public announcement of pecuniary need in their individual cases.