Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.
The words that the hon. Member uses seem to carry us still further, so far as the limiting point in Clause 21 is concerned, and I must protect myself. In Clause 18 there is a provision that the decision of the Minister is to be binding and final. We have already passed that Clause, and it is quite impossible, she will see, that an appeal should lie against a final and conclusive decision. Again, this proviso says that matters which are left in the discretion of a Minister are not to be subject to an appeal. That, of course, is Clause 6, where the Minister has to decide certain cases where children's allowances are to be diverted. But so far as Clause 21 is concerned I am advised that nothing in this proviso will in any way prevent the woman under Clause 21, Sub-section (2), from making an appeal to the Court of Referees where proceedings under Clause 33 have not been made, and where her pension has been stopped by reason of alleged cohabitation. I am not quite certain whether the words of Sub-section (2) in Clause 21 are as clear as might be, and I have already given an undertaking to the hon. and learned Member for South Shields (Mr. Harney) to look into that.