HC Deb 18 June 1902 vol 109 cc1063-4

Considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

MR. STUART WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)

in the Chair.

(10.15.) MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid) moved an Amendment for the purpose of making the provisions of the Bill apply whenever reservists were called out by any Royal Proclamation, and not merely to the recent case when they were called out for service in connection with the South African war. They were dealing here with what might be said to be an Amendment of the Police Pension Act. It was perfectly right that the time during which police reservists were on active service should count as accrued service for pension purposes. There was no Treason whatever why that power should, as the Bill proposed, be limited to the recent war. The same power should apply to any future war. The reserves could not be called out except by Royal Proclamation in case of national danger. He always objected to a Bill being passed to meet a special case, and that was his reason for moving this Amendment. There was no reason in principle why the proposal in the Bill should not be made the permanent law of the land, applicable to all wars.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON

said he was not inclined to agree with his hon. friend in making general this particular form of relief.

MR. RITCHIE

said he entirely agreed with the hon. Member for Dundee, although he quite appreciated the motive of the hon. Member for Mid Lanark.

MR. CALDWELL

said his point was that they were limiting this concession to the present war in which the nation had been particularly interested. He did not want to leave policemen who were reservists at the mercy of the local authorities to refuse to allow them to count their service with the colours for their pension in any other war.

Amendment proposed— In Clause 1, page 1, line 10, to leave out from 'proclamation,' to 'be,' in line 11, and insert 'shall.'"—(Mr. Caldwell.)

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."

MR. RITCHIE

hoped that his hon. friend would not press his Amendment. There was no doubt whatever that many local authorities would be only too glad to exercise the power of counting the service of their police, who rejoined the colours as reservists for their pension; but he did not think the House would be justified in inserting the word "shall" in the Bill.

Bill reported without Amendment; read the third time, and passed.