HC Deb 16 February 1831 vol 2 cc608-9

On the Motion of Lord Althorp, the Order of the Day was read for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of Supply.

Mr. G. Dawson

asked the noble Lord, what was the amount of salaries saved to the public by the reduction of the 210 offices, which the noble Lord stated that he had abolished? He also wished to know, what was the additional amount of superannuation that would become charged on the revenue by the reduction of these offices; but he was more desirous of receiving an answer to the first of these questions.

Lord Althorp

said, that he could not give an exact answer to the right hon. Gentleman on either of these questions. He had not yet had an opportunity of accurately ascertaining what would be the amount saved; but he wished to remind the right hon. Gentleman, that when he announced the reduction, he did not announce it as a saving of salaries, so much as a giving up of patronage.

Mr. G. Dawson

thought the information ought to be furnished.

Lord Althorp

repeated, that at this moment he could not give the information required. If he were to look at the amount of salaries attached to the places that had been abolished, he might be enabled to make a rough calculation; but that would not give the House a clear idea of the saving; for, in many instances, the superannuation allowance was considerable. The principle, however, on which the Government had acted was this, that all places which were useless, they ought to be abolished at once, without reference to the amount of saving, or to the amount of the superannuation that might be attached to the office.

Mr. Hume

hoped, that the noble Lord would not fix the amount of superannuation for these abolished offices, till it was known whether some of these persons might not be required to give their services in other offices. He had known in-stances in which offices had been abolished, and superannuations created, and then fresh persons had been appointed to fill vacancies in other offices, instead of those offices being filled by some of the persons whose offices had been abolished. He hoped the noble Lord would not imitate this example.

Lord Althorp

said, it was the intention of Government, in every possible case, to fill up vacancies in offices of efficient service, by the appointment of persons from the redundant offices. He did not take any particular credit for this, because he believed that the practice had been begun by the late Government.