§ SIR G. KEKEWICH (Exeter)To ask the Postmaster-General whether Clause 5 1210 of the Superannuation (Post Office and War Office) Act, 1876, was complied with; whether the Treasury laid before Parliament the Return showing the names of all persons with respect to whom any order or warrant was issued in pursuance of the said Act; whether he will state if complete lists of all persons who were affected by this Act were complied by the officials of that period; and whether such lists are still in existence at post offices where such officers are employed.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The Return was laid before Parliament in accordance with the terms of the Act, and was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 4th May, 1877. Copies of the Return are still in existence and are referred to from time to time as occasion demands.
§ SIR G. KEKEWICHTo ask the Postmaster-General whether, seeing that under the Superannuation Act, 1859, it is enacted that compulsory retirement shall take place at the age of sixty-five, he can state why it was necessary to fix the compulsory retirement age at sixty in the Superannuation (Post Office and War Office) Act, 1876, and if any officers scheduled under this Act are retained after sixty years of age; whether he will lay Papers upon the Table stating the special reasons why the said officers are retained; and whether, in all such cases, paragraph 3 of subsection (d) of Clause 2 was duly enforced.
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) The Superannuation (Post Office and War Office) Act, 1876, was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1883, and, therefore, the special age limit of sixty no longer applies to the officers whose appointments were confirmed under the Act of 1876. I do not know why the age of sixty was fixed by the Act of 1876 as the age for compulsory retirement; but I may point out that the Superannuation Act of 1859 does not lay down any age limit. The limit of sixty-five years is fixed by the Orders in Council of 15th August, 1890, and 29th November, 1898.