HC Deb 27 July 1899 vol 75 cc509-10
MR. DEWAR (Edinburgh, S.)

I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he is aware that the late William Samuel, an attendant for thirty three years in Edinburgh Museum, was retired on a pension of £52 1s. 6d. per annum in January last, and that he died in April, leaving a widow, and without having received any portion of his pension; whether he has been informed that the said William Samuel surrendered as pension equivalent from his weekly wage sums amounting in all to £58 9s. 4d.; whether he is aware that on April 12th, 1892, the Royal Commission on Civil Service issued a report recommending that in the event of the death of a pensioner before the amount received in pension has reached the whole of the sum deducted from his pay during his service, his representatives should receive the difference between such total deductions and the amount received as pension; whether he has been informed that the widow of the said William Samuel has made application, in terms of said recommendation, to have the sum of £58 9s. 4d, the pension equivalent deducted from her husband's pay, refunded to her, and that this application has been refused; and whether he will now take such steps as he may consider necessary to have the Royal Commission's recommendation carried out, and Mrs. Samuel's husband's money refunded to her.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST,) Cambridge University

The reply to the first paragraph of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. The other paragraphs should be addressed to the Secretary of Her Majesty's Treasury.