HC Deb 05 February 1878 vol 237 cc1055-6
MR. GRAY

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If he would state the amount to credit of the "Constabulary Force Fund" for each of the last five years; how that fund is raised, and to what purposes it is allocated; and, if the average annual receipts exceed the average annual payments, whether any steps will be taken to equalize them; and, whether the late Assistant Inspector General Brownrigg received any money from this fund in addition to his pension of £930 a-year?

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH

Sir, the amount to the credit of this fund at each of the periods referred to in the Question of the hon. Member ending 31st March each year was, in round numbers, as follows:—1873, £43,500; 1874, £49,200; 1875, £54,300; 1876, £62,000; 1877, £68,500. The amount is raised by a deduction from the pay of the officers and men, and from the payments of such superannuated members of the Force as continue to subscribe under 29 & 30 Vict. c. 103, for the benefit of their families; from fines imposed upon members of the Force by the Inspector General and the county Inspectors; from gratuities awarded to members of the Force by magistrates; and lastly, from interest on the portion of the fund which is invested. The fund is spent in the following way: —In rewards to meritorious members of the Force, in relief of their widows and orphans, and also in the payment of a certain percentage by way of recouping the expenses of the officers and men of the Force on retirement. Attempts have been made to equalize the annual receipts and expenditure—first, by reducing the payment from l½to 1 per cent; and, secondly, by increasing the payments to the men from 6 to 8 per cent; and adding to the payments to the widows and orphans. If this fund, in spite of this, continues to increase, it will have to be considered whether the payments should be still further increased or the subscriptions reduced. The late Assistant Inspector General Brownrigg received the payment from this fund to which he is entitled by his rank and service. He has subscribed to it through the whole term of his service, and I may add that the pension on which he retired was that to which he was legally entitled.