§ Mr. ADAMSasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of old age pensions committees, and the number of persons, male and female separately, employed in investigating the claims for old age pensions in England, Wales, and Scotland, and the cost per annum of the committees and pension officers separately?
§ Major BOYD-CARPENTERThere are 1,908 old age pension committees and subcommittees in Great Britain, estimated to cost £50,000 in he current financial year and £55,000 in 1923–24. There are about 260 woman pension officers wholly engaged on this work. Officers of Customs and Excise act as old age pension officers and, where required, 731W carry out this work in conjunction with their ordinary Revenue duties. It is accordingly not possible to state in terms of whole-time officials the number engaged on this work. The total net cost of the work performed by the Customs and Excise Department in connection with the Old Age Pensions Acts was estimated for the current year at 2470,000; the corresponding figure or 1923–24 will be £460,000.
Mr. T. THOMSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount previously paid in old age pensions by the British Government which will now be taken over by the Irish Government?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe amount previously paid by the British Government in respect of old age pensions in Ireland was about £4,400,000 annually. This amount, together with the cost of administration, is now borne by the Governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State,
§ Mr. ADAMSasked the Home Secretary the number of cases of old age pensioners proceeded against for offences under the Old Age Pensions Acts during 1922, and the number of cases of deaths from starvation of persons over 70 years of age, showing the number of old age pensioners separately during the year 1922?
§ Major BOYD - CARPENTERThe number of persons prosecuted in 1922 in Great Britain under Section 9 (i) of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908, was 127. The other information asked for is not available in this Department.