§ 68. Mr. C. WHITEasked the President of the Board of Education what, up to the present, is the total amount of the lump sums, additional to pension, paid to teachers who have retired under the Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918, since it began to operate on 1st April, 1919; and what is the number of the teachers who have received these additional lump sums?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Fisher)Up to the 31st December, 1921, the total amount of the "lump sums" awarded under the Act of 1918 is £1,569,286; and the number of teachers concerned, 6,241.
§ 69. Mr. C. WHITEasked the President of the Board of Education whether all teachers who served under the Superannuation Acts of 1898 and 1912 had the right, on approaching the retiring age, 65, to make application for extension of 1837 service and to have it submitted to and considered by the Board of Education; how many such applications made by teachers during the year ended 31st March, 1918, and that of 31st March, 1919, were; not submitted to or considered by the Board of Education, with the result that the applicants were compulsorily retired at 65 on a pension of about £40, average amount; how many similar applications, made during the same years by teachers similarly circumstanced, were submitted to and considered by the Board, with the result that the applicants had extension granted them and were thus made eligible for and admitted to the benefits of the 1918 Act; and what compensation he proposes to make to those teachers who have sustained heavy loss in consequence of the withholding of their applications for extension from the consideration of the Board of Education?
§ Mr. FISHERAs regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to Section 1 (2, a) of the Elementary School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1898. It has been the practice of the Board not to entertain applications for extension unless they are supported by the local education authorities or managers in whose service the teachers concerned are employed. I cannot undertake the laborious investigation which would be required for the whole of England and Wales to enable me to answer the second and third parts of the question.
§ 74. Mr. MOSLEYasked the President of the Board of Education the estimated initial and continuing cost of giving administrative effect to the recommendations of the Geddes Committee for putting teachers pensions on a contributory basis?
§ Mr. FISHERI presume the hon. Member refers to the cost of the additional staff that would be required for administering a superannuation scheme on a contributory basis. It is impossible to estimate what staff would be necessary for this purpose except in relation to the terms of any Measure which receives the approval of Parliament.