§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second time."—(Mr. Asquith.)
§ Viscount CRANBORNEasked the Home Secretary for some explanation of its provisions.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Asquith,) Fife, E.This Bill, which I trust hon. Members on both sides will agree to, merely amends a clause in the Prisons Act of 1887. Under that Act a number of prisons were taken over from the Local Authorities and transferred to the Prison Commissioners. Provision was made in that Act that the services of prison officials in connection with the prisons under the Local Authorities should count for the purposes 1711 of superannuation and pension under that Act. In fact, it established continuity of service, before and after the Act. Owing to the wording of the Act, it was found that a gentleman who was employed as an Inspector of Prisons was not within the wording of the clause. The result is that, although the gallant officer, an Admiral, has served for a great many years before the Act as Inspector of Prisons and was taken on in the same capacity by the Prison Commissioners, his services before the Act cannot count, and he is deprived of a very large amount of the pension which he has honourably earned by his services to the State.
§ Mr. ASQUITHThat is all, subject to this—that it provides that in the cases of prison officers who have been in the Army and Navy there shall not be a reduction of naval or military pensions on account of their services under the Prison Commissioners.
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLI object.
§ Second Reading deferred till Tomorrow.