§ Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider, in the interests of economy, the amalgamation of all pensions business in one Department; and if he will give the names of the Departments of State which at present undertake pension business of any sort?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThis question has been examined many times, but it has not been found that action such as that suggested by my hon. Friend would be conducive to economy. The existing distribution of pension work among different Departments has in fact been mainly determined by considerations of economy. The Departments principally concerned with the award or payment of different classes of pensions are: the Treasury, including the Pay Office, the Home Office, the Scottish Office, the Revenue and Service Departments, the Ministry of Pensions, the Board of Trade, the Ministry of Health, and the Board of Education.