§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether allowance as 864 chequer and Audit Department who, on the recent reorganisation of that Department, were informed that they could hope to derive no benefit under the new scheme and would be given facilities for retiring on pension; whether he will explain why such treatment was meted out to capable and experienced officials; whether one of these officials was subsequently promoted; and whether due consideration will now be given to the claims of the remainder of these officials.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman) The information asked for is as follows —
§ private secretary to the Comptroller and Auditor-General is allowed under the Superannuation Acts and regulations bearing thereon to count towards pension; whether £50 of this allowance has now been merged, or is about to be merged, in the salary of the present holder of this position; if so, under what authority; whether this £50 will be included in calculating his pension on retirement; and, if so, seeing that the salary of this official is now nearly 865 £700 per annum and that there are so many subordinates in the Department with small salaries, will he explain the reasons for this procedure.
§ (Answered by Mr. Runciman) The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. On the abolition of the post of chief clerk the officer referred to was required to perform part of the duties, and a pensionable allowance of £50 a year was accordingly added to his salary under Treasury authority, his secretarial allowance being reduced by a corresponding amount.