§ MR. S. HOARE (Norwich)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received sundry Memorials expressing, on the part of many prison officers, dissatisfaction as to their superannuation allowance; and whether he is prepared to take any steps to remedy the grievances complained of?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE TON THE HOME DEPARTMENT (MR. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.Yes, the Memorials referred to have been received, and I have had letters written in reply, pointing out that, as regards the special dangers of the Prison Service, an exceptionally high scale of pensions is granted to prison officers injured on duty, and that, as regards ordinary pensions, the case of the warders cannot properly be compared with that of the police whose health is affected by constant exposure to the weather, and especially by night duty in the open air. I may add that in 1891 the Prison Warders Committee, after inquiry into the claim of the warders for a higher scale of pension, declined to recommend any increase; and in view of this decision I am unable to propose to Parliament the alteration in the law 542 which would be needed to enable the Treasury to make any alteration in the present scale of ordinary pensions.