§ COLONEL MAKINSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, What were the exceptional circumstances which justified the special terms of superannuation granted to the Clerks of the Admiralty and War Offices which circumstances are said not to exist in the case of the clerks of the Warehousing Departments of the Customs; and, whether the abolition of office, coupled with the small pay of the clerks in the Customs, entitles them to treatment as liberal as that accorded to clerks in the Admiralty and War Offices?
MR. GLADSTONESir, the hon. and gallant Member seems to have placed this Question upon the Paper while possessing an imperfect acquaintance with the facts of the case. As I understand the matter, a decision was come to two years ago by the late Govern- 1947 ment, to constitute a special and exceptional case with regard to a very large reduction in the Admiralty and the War Office, of which the circumstances were deemed to be peculiar. I give no opinion as to the sufficiency of the reasons for this reduction, and I really had nothing to do with it. What happened was this. Parliament chose to deal with the case in an exceptional and peculiar manner, and I must, therefore, suppose that it did so on exceptional and peculiar grounds. Of course, it would not he within the discretion of the Government by an alteration of the ordinary rules of all Departments to make the public Administration in general conform to the exceptional and peculiar circumstances referred to.
§ An hon. MEMBER asked the Prime Minister, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to bring in a Bill to give to the clerks in the Customs the same acknowledgment that had been given to the clerks in the War Office?
MR. GLADSTONESir, there is no intention on the part of Her Majesty's Government to bring in a measure of the character referred to by the hon. Member.