HC Deb 17 November 1955 vol 546 cc901-2

10.4 p.m.

Mr. S. P. Viant (Willesden, West)

I beg to move, That, in pursuance of the provisions of section three of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1948, the maximum annual amounts of the periodical payments which may be made out of the House of Commons Members' Fund under the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1939, as amended by the said Act of 1948, be varied as from the first day of December, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, as follows:—

  1. (a) in paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to the said Act of 1939, as so amended (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of his past membership of the House of Commons shall not exceed two hundred and fifty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to three hundred and twenty-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "two hundred and fifty pounds" there shall be substituted the words "three hundred pounds" and for the words "three hundred and twenty-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "three hundred and seventy-five pounds";
  2. (b) in paragraph 2 of the said Schedule (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of her being the widow of a past member of the House of Commons shall not exceed one hundred and fifty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring her income up to two hundred and twenty-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "one hundred and fifty pounds" there shall be substituted the words "one hundred and eighty pounds" and for the words "two hundred and twenty-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "two hundred and fifty-five pounds";
  3. (c) in paragraph 2A of the said Schedule (under which the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of his being the widower of a past member of the House of Commons is not to exceed one hundred and fifty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to two hundred and twenty-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "one hundred and fifty pounds" there shall be substituted the words "one hundred and eighty pounds" and for the words "two hundred and twenty-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "two hundred and fifty-five pounds".
I am pleased to be able to report that the Trustees of the House of Commons Members' Fund find themselves in a financial position which will enable us to raise the grant to ex-Members by £50 a year and the grant to the widows of ex-Members by £30 a year.

I hope that the House will give its assent to this Motion. The increased grant will be very welcome to those concerned, and, I think, will be a nice gesture at this time of the year, as we hope to be able to start payment from 1st December.

Mr. Walter Elliot (Glasgow, Kelvingrove)

I beg formally to second the Motion.

Question put and agreed to.