asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons over 70 years of age have been refused an old age pension because they have no definite place of residence; and whether provision could be made for such persons to receive their pensions on presentation of their birth certificate or other mode of identification to the clerk of the Poor Law authority in the district in which they may temporarily reside?

Mr. SAMUEL:

The absence of a permanent place of residence is not a disqualification. I am not aware of any case in which an old age pension has been refused on this ground. In these circumstances the second portion of the question does not arise.

Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that men of this age, that is over 70, have been placed daring the recent hard weather on the work of cutting wood in Poor Law labour institutions, because they have no pension?

Mr. SAMUEL:

That has nothing to do with the question that the hon. Gentleman put.