HC Deb 23 July 1922 vol 155 cc1622-3

The local authority may grant to any officer or servant who is not entitled to a superannuation allowance under this Act, on his retiring from service, such gratuity as the local authority may by special resolution determine, not exceeding a sum equal to twice the amount of the salary or wages of such officer or servant during the year which immediately precedes his retirement: Provided that any gratuity granted under this Section shall not be paid out of the superannuation fund, but shall be chargeable upon the same rates and revenues as those upon which the salary or wages of the officer or servant to whom the gratuity is granted are charged.

Sir H. NIELD

I beg to move, at the beginning of the Clause, to insert a new Sub-section— (1) The local authority may in any case in which an officer or servant is permanently incapacitated by an injury sustained by him in the actual discharge of his duty and without his own default, and specifically attributable to the nature of his duty grant to such officer or servant, subject to such conditions as they may think fit, such gratuity either by way of a lump sum or periodical payments as they may consider reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case, including any statutory right to compensation or any allowance or gratuity under this Act, so however that these sums received by him shall not exceed in all the amount of any allowance or gratuity to which he would have been entitled if lie had already attained the age of sixty-five at the date when he became incapacitated. This Amendment is for the purpose of preventing unnecessary expense.

Mr. MYERS

I beg to second the Amendment.

Sir F. BANBURY

It is difficult to follow these Amendments and to know exactly what they mean. I understand this provides that where a servant is incapacitated by injury, the local authority may give him certain payments. Surely under the Workmen's Compensation Acts that officer or servant would receive compensation.

Sir H. NIELD

The Compensation Acts are limited to a certain class of people. There are many men under local authorities who would not be within the terms of the Workmen's Compensation Acts. This is purely optional; it saves the authorities fund in the end, and also saves superannuation.

Amendment agreed to.