§ SIR G. CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy)asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the present pension and superannuation rules were construed to mean that a permanent civil servant, on attaining the age of 60 years, is entitled as of right to claim pension, or whether in practice the Treasury might and did exercise any discretion in considering, with reference to the health and capacity of the applicant, whether it was for the interest of the public service that full pension should be granted and another man appointed; whether in practice effect was given to the old rule of the Civil Service, that normal pension was only earned when the applicant had given his whole time to the public service; whether in some recent cases civil servants had, while holding public office, accepted posts under companies or private persons, and had eventually retired from the public service on large pensions, not because they were incapacitated for work, but in order to continue and extend such private occupation; and whether Mr. J. Russell, just retired from the National Debt Office, had for many years been in receipt of another salary as Receiver, Secretary, and Manager of the Burry Port and Gwendreath Valley Railway Company?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.A civil servant on reaching the age of 60 years is entitled to retire and to receive the amount of pension for which he is qualified by length of service. No civil servant is qualified for a pension on retirement unless he has given his whole time to his official duties. No civil servant who retires under the age of 60 can receive a retired allowance, unless on a medical certificate that he is permanently incapable of discharging his duties, and I am not aware of any case such as those described in the third paragraph of the hon. Member's question. Mr. Russell, a principal clerk in the National Debt Office, retired last year at the age of 62, after 42 years' service, on a pension of £466 13s. 4d. I understand that he held an office in connection with a small commercial undertaking which was either wholly or mainly the property of his own family. I am not aware whether any remuneration 1558 was attached to the office. On Mr. Russell's retirement the head of his department certified that he had served for 42 years with diligence and fidelity to his satisfaction, and that he had fully discharged his official duties.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLIs it not the fact that there is a rule that a person recommended for a superannuation allowance shall have devoted the whole of his time to the public service?
§ MR. JACKSONA certificate from the head of the Department that the person proposed to be pensioned had discharged his duty with zeal and ability and to his entire satisfaction, would, I apprehend, be deemed sufficient.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLIs there not a long established rule that an ordinary pension shall not be regarded as having been earned unless the person who is to receive it has devoted the whole of his time to the public service?
§ MR. JACKSONThe Superannuation Committee have no power to go behind the distinct rules laid down for their guidance, one of which is that if the Civil servant is 60 years of age, he is enabled to retire with a superannuation allowance in accordance with the number of years he has served; and if the Superannuation Committee are supplied with information, such as I have described, from the head of the Department, it would be irregular for the Committee to enter into a separate inquiry.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLIs there, or is there not, an existing rule of long standing, that the ordinary pension shall not be conferred unless the Civil servant has devoted the whole of his time to the public service?
§ MR. JACKSONYes, I think there is; but I am not sure that a difficulty might not arise if the definition of the hon. Member as to "whole time" were pushed a little further.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLI have not given any definition of "whole time."