Orders of the Day — Contributory Pensions Bill.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 15 Gorffennaf 1925.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Robert Tasker Mr Robert Tasker , Islington East

I think the right hon. Gentleman's estimate of the difficulties mentioned in the wording of this Clause 34 showed optimism, and I think he will find that they are more like barbed wire entanglements than anything else. I would appeal to him to give consideration, between now and the Report stage, to the question whether, instead of acting, as is provided in lines 39 and 40, "with the consent of the Treasury," the Minister should consider the desirability of using voluntary agencies such as exist under the Old Age Pensions Act. It appears to me to be entirely unnecessary to give power to the Minister, who in turn is governed by the Treasury. There seems to be the closest analogy between this Bill and the Old Age Pensions Act, and after 15 years' experience I am bound to say that I am only voicing the sentiments of my colleagues when I say that we have not unbounded faith in the Treasury. We do not regard them as custodians of the public purse. In London, we expended money in accordance with their ruling, and we had run into debt, but the Treasury did nothing to help us, and let us get out of our own trouble. To show that they do not exercise control, the London Old Age Pensions Committee did reorganise their re-establishment, and they wiped out a debt of £1,200, saving the country £3,000 in the case of a full year.

If this scheme is to be administered by the Minister "with the consent of the Treasury," I confess I have not very much faith in it. How do the Treasury appoint their officials? They issue secret instructions. We do not know what those instructions are, we cannot ascertain them, and, as far as we know, every officer is appointed under the Interpretation Act of 1871. I apprehend the same difficulty here. If you want to know how and why a certain decision is reached, you will be told it is the secret instructions of the Treasury. I submit that there ought to be nothing secret. People are contributing to this Fund, and—