OPPOSITION Senator Robert ‘Bobby’ Montague is to seek answers from the Ministry of Finance as to the “longest period any individual has had to wait in order to receive their pension”, following failure to get answers in the Senate on Friday.

The senator, in questions posed to Foreign Affairs Minister and Leader of Government Business in the Senate AJ Nicholson, wanted to know, among other things, the number of persons in receipt of government pensions, the total amount spent by the government on pensions in the last financial year, the number of retired persons who are awaiting their pensions and the longest period any individual has had to wait in order to receive their pension.

Providing the responses on Friday, Senator Nicholson said there are approximately 33,000 pensioners in receipt of a pension from the Accountant General’s Department with approximately 1,000 pensioners being paid by parish/council or local authorities and approximately 300 pensioners being paid by statutory bodies. He also said the Government spent $22.59 billion on pensions for the financial year ended in March this year. The foreign affairs minister told the Senate that as at September 30 this year there were approximately 2,090 pension cases at varying stages of the pension process at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

“It should be noted that in over 90 per cent of these cases approval have been granted for the individual to receive an advance on payment or an advance is being processed. The advance represents 70 per cent of the benefit before finalisation of the benefit,” Senator Nicholson said.

He told the Senate that as at September, there were approximately 359 people awaiting payment by the Accountant General’s Department.

Senator Nicholson also said there are other payments awaiting finalisation, for example, estate payments that are awaiting the production of probated wills or letters of administration.

In answering the question of the longest an individual has had to wait he said the ministry was committed to completing the process of award of a pension within four months of receiving complete and accurate documentation in order to facilitate payment.

This answer, however, was not satisfactory to Montague.

“Question number five, the Minister gave a lot of information but did not answer the question,” Senator Montague said.

“Out of 33,000 how is he to know, don’t ask rubbish,” was the quick rejoinder from Government Senator KD Knight.

“Mr President, I think we need to call the National Solid Waste Management Authority to deal with Senator Knight,” Senator Montague retorted before repeating his question.

Said Nicholson, “the Senator knows as all Senators do that when questions are asked… concerning issues which don’t come from our ministries, we have to ask other ministries so the answers that you see here are not answers developed by me and the question you have asked this is the only way they see that they could have answered the question”.

“There is a rule that answers that can be gleaned by other means shouldn’t really come to the Senate,” he added.

“That question that has been asked makes absolutely no sense. What is required that the ministry must examine the 33,000 and then determine which one took the longest time?” Senator Knight persisted.

“Only God would answer it,” Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding said in a sotto voce remark eliciting chuckles.

The issue prompted the President of the Senate Floyd Morris to intervene.

“Write the minister of finance to get the particular because at this point in time the minister would not be able to provide that answer to you or you can choose to write some follow-up questions,” he advised.

But Senator Nicholson is of the opinion that “there is no earthly way the present Ministry of Finance could answer that question”.

“It is not possible; it happened in 1946, you really believe that information is at hand anywhere in the archives? With the greatest of respect I would prefer if you ask the Minister to take your advice to write to the ministry,” he said.

In capping the issue, Senator Knight said Standing Order 16 (1) rendered Montague’s question improper for the Senate. According to that rule “a question shall not be asked seeking information on matters of past history”.

“In my humble view this question falls squarely within this and therefore the question itself is out of order and in the circumstances all discussions should now cease and I am telling you to desist Senator Montague,” Senator Knight said drawing chuckles.

“Take the recommendation and write to the ministry,” Senator Morris advised.

“I will take your advice,” Montague said.