§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been called to the fact that a number of national school teachers in Ireland who have qualified for promotion to the first grade are deprived of the increments of salary to which they are entitled, owing to a limitation imposed by the Treasury upon the number of those to whom the higher salary is to be paid; if he will state the number of teachers who are affected by this limitation, and the additional charge upon the votes for the current year that would be entailed by its removal; if he will explain how the removal of the limitation would prejudice the teachers' pension fund; and if he will favourably consider the withdrawal of the regulation in question?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe hon. Member will find all the information asked for in the first part of his question in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the hon. Member for South Cork on the 16th May last. The removal of the limitation by increasing the number of teachers who may qualify for higher grade pensions will eventually add to the liabilities and so to the estimated deficiency of the pension fund.
§ Sir JOHN LONSDALECan the right hon. Gentleman say why in the case of teachers who have qualified for promotion, the Treasury is not prepared to carry out an alteration in Section 105A of the Regulations?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI think I have already replied to that.
§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of answering my question without referring me to an answer he gave some months ago?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe 16th May last is not some months ago.