asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will favourably consider making tobacco tokens available to all old age pensioners even although they may be disqualified from receiving a pension whilst being maintained in a poor law institution;

(2) if he will make tobacco tokens available to pensioners, who, on account of mental illness, are maintained in mental hospitals or institutions and whose pensions are being administered in accordance with Section 32 (2) of the Widows' Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1936;

(3) if he will grant tobacco tokens to men over 65 and women over 60 years of age, who, not being qualified to receive a contributory pension, are, on account of destitution, in receipt of poor law relief.

I fear that in so far as the classes of persons referred to are outside the terms of the Statute the machinery of the scheme could not be operated to provide relief for them.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that his answer will give great dissatisfaction to the people concerned, and will he look at it again?

We have looked at this repeatedly ever since the scheme was introduced. The trouble is that we must have some scheme which is easy to apply, and a pension book that can be shown at the counter, so that the clerk there can realise at once that the person to whom it belongs is entitled to this concession.

Would it be so difficult to allocate the right supplies in these asylums with which the hon. Member's Question is concerned?

In the case of these mental institutions, the actual pension is paid to the local authority concerned. They make an allowance to the patient, and give him, I think in all cases, a tobacco allowance in addition.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that whilst it is true that there is provision made in mental institutions and other institutions regarding these old people, there are a large number of old men who have failed to qualify for contributory pensions, and are not in institutions, who will have to suffer as a result of this, and who are in very poor circumstances? Surely, my right hon. Friend's Department can find some way of giving these people an allowance of tobacco?