§ Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state what is the present number of unestablished servants of the State to whom Section 4 of the Superannuation Act of 1887 is applicable; what percentage of this number per annum is it estimated will die while in the service; and what would be the average annual cost of granting to the dependents of persons so dying a gratuity on the scale provided by the Section of the Act referred to for persons retiring on a medical certificate of infirmity?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI have no information as to the present number of unestablished persons serving in the various Departments of State to whom Section 4 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, is applicable. In these circumstances no estimate can be formed of the cost of granting to the dependents of such persons dying in the service a gratuity on the scale suggested, but as the numbers concerned are very large, it would be considerable.