§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDE (Wexford, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the
† See (4) Debates cii., 186.† See (4) Debates xciv., 1327.1020 Treasury whether the Treasury will inquire and report in regard to the compulsory retirement of three established clerk abstractors with less than forty years service from the War Office at the ages of sixty, sixty-two, and sixty respectively, these clerks being established after considerable temporary service, and retired on pension less than they could have earned had they served till they completed forty years, or by remaining to the age of sixty-five, as is permitted to clerks in other Departments who entered the Civil Service on identical terms; and, seeing that Clause 7 of The Superannuation Act, 1859, provides for compensation in cases of compulsory retirement or reorganisation of a Department, and that the right of appeal for Treasury decisions, under Clause 2 of this Act, was withheld by the War Office in the case of one of these clerks who claimed the right of appeal to the Treasury, whether he will state what action he will take.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E.This matter is in the discretion of the War Office. Orders in Council of 15th August, 1890, and 29th November, 1898, empower the head of any Department to retire any officer of that Department at the age of sixty, on such pension as, by the length of his service, he is qualified to receive. The power given to the Treasury by Section 2 of the Act of 1859 is limited to deciding whether an officer has a claim to superannuation. It does not touch the power of retirement given to heads of Departments by the two Orders mentioned above.