§ Mr. TASKERasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in the case of a person who is by reason of mental or other incapacity unable to claim a pension but whose relatives or friends consider that he has or may perhaps have pension rights under the Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1924, or the Blind Persons Act, 1920, it is almost invariably an essential preliminary, under the existing law, that before those rights, if any, can be given effect an application must be made to the old age pensions committee, namely, the local pensions authority, for the area in which the incapacitated person resides for the appointment of an agent, and that if at the time of the application or at a subsequent date it is also desired to ascertain whether the incapacitated person has a right to a pension under the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, an additional application for another appointment of an agent must next be made to a further and separate authority, namely, the Minister of Health; and whether he will confer with the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a view to an early announcement as to the desirability of legislation to simplify the existing law and procedure as to the appointment of agents by providing that an agent appointed under the Acts of 1908 and 1924 shall, by virtue of that one appointment, also have power to act if necessary, under the Act of 1925, and that an agent appointed under the Act of 1925 shall similarly have power, without further appointment, to act, if necessary, under the Acts of 1908 to 1924?
2640W
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe following Statement shows the numbers of persons in receipt of poor law relief on the last Saturday in June, 1928.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI would point out that, as the transitional period, which extended from 2nd July, 1926 to 2nd January, 1928, has now expired, the difficulty which my hon. Friend desires to provide against is not likely to arise in the future, for normally there will be no question of making a formal claim for a pension at age 70 by virtue of the Contributory Pensions Act, 1925, that pension following automatically on the receipt of a widow's pension or of a pension between the ages of 65 and 70.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health if he will reconsider the circumstances attending the refusal of the claim to an old age pension, under the contributory scheme, to Mr. G. J. Abrehart, No. 620,351?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs the formal decision on the claim has been given, it is not open to me to review the case unless new facts are brought to my notice. Mr. Abrehart was notified of his right of appeal to the referees appointed under the Act.