§ MR. KELLY (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any, and, if so, what steps have been taken to enforce that portion of Clause 10 of the Order in Council of 15th August, 1890, which provides that " Retirement shall be compulsory for every officer on attaining the age of 65 years; " whether certain provisions of that Order have been regarded as taking effect from the date thereof; whether the Lords of the Treasury have power by Minute or otherwise, and, if so, under what authority, to modify the effect, or fix or vary the date at which an Order in Council, or any part thereof, may come into operation; and whether all salaries paid to officers over 65 years of age since the date of the Order in Council of 15th August, 1890, have been disallowed by the Comptroller and Auditor General; and, if not, why not?
§ MR. GOSCHENNo date being named in the Order in Council of August 15, 1890, the Treasury fixed a date for retirements taking place under the provisions of the Order. Some provisions of the Order have taken effect from the passing of the Order. The Treasury have no power, so far as I know, to vary the provisions of an Order in Council. In this case it was impossible that the provisions should take effect at the passing of the Order, and, no other date being mentioned, the Treasury named a date which they considered most convenient for the Public Service. The Comptroller and Auditor General does not disallow expenditure, but reports for disallowance, and he reports not to the Government, but to the House of Commons. His Report on the account in question has not yet been laid before the House of Commons.