§ MR. DANIEL O'CONNELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government will bring in the Bill for the amendment of the Civil Service Superannuation Act?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, the question with regard to 1320 the Civil Service Superannuation Bill is one of great magnitude and difficulty, and the Report lately presented by the Committee is now under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. I cannot say that we have come to a decision to introduce a Bill, but I ought to add that the Committee of this House last year recommended that certain questions should be proposed to actuaries with a view of determining how far the claim of the Civil Service with respect to an abatement of their payments was founded in equity, and how far they have ground of complaint that they have not received an equivalent for what they have already paid. The Treasury called the attention of the Civil Service Commissioners to that subject, and the Commissioners recommended that the inquiry should be pursued. The Commissioners communicated with the actuaries, and the actuaries have called for a mass of information from the different departments, but have not yet made a Report on the subject. The Commissioners have promised to give the Report of the actuaries in a supplementary Report, which we have not yet received, and therefore the subject has not yet been considered by the Government.