§ 16. Mr. HAYESasked the Home Secretary what is the practice obtaining in the payment of police pensions in London and the provinces so that in a leap year the pensioner shall not lose one day's pension; whether he has made any rule or regulation or issued a Home Office circular covering this point; and, if not, whether he will consider advising a uniform practice of payment of either an extra day's pension once every four years or 365¼ days' pension each year?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-H1CKSUnder the Police Pensions Act, 1921, pensions are calculated as fractions of annual pay, and annual pay is defined by the Act for the purpose as 52 times weekly pay in the case of police paid weekly. There is therefore no power to increase a pension in leap year. In the case, however, of those officers who elected in 1921 to retain the scale of ordinary pensions under the Police Act, 1890, it is the practice to allow the leap year fraction, and in 1923 my predecessor recommended 2075 county and borough police authorities to take the same course in similar cases in their forces.
§ Mr. HAYESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are cases of county and borough police forces where that rule is not being observed?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIf the hon. Member will send me any cases, I will see into them, but it will depend rather whether the officers elected to come under the Act of 1921.