§ Order for Committee read.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Morgan Jones)I would appeal to hon. Members not to object. This is not a controversial matter. This Government is interested and the late Government were also interested. I hope we shall be able to deal with the question now.
§ Captain BOURNEBefore we agree we are entitled to some explanation why a Committee of the Whole House is required.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe explanation can be given in Committee. Considered in Committee.
§ [Mr. ROBERT YOUNG in the Chair.]
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That for the purpose of any Act of the present Session providing among other things for the exception from the provisions of the Poor Law Officers' Superannuation Act, 1896, of service on or after the 1st day of April, 1926, as a school teacher in the service of the Birmingham Board of Guardians, at Monyhull Colony, Moseley, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament of such sums as may be necessary to defray the expenses of the Board of Education in respect of such superannuation allowances, gratuities and balances of contributions, as may become payable under the Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1925, by reason of the exception aforesaid."—[Mr. Dunnico.]
§ Mr. JONESThe point at issue is simple. It Concerns the Monyhull Colony for feeble-minded and epileptic children in the Moseley Division of Birmingham. The school is of a dual character: it has a Poor Law Section and a special school section, and as 1012 such the teachers employed in the Institution come under the Poor Law Officers' Superannuation Scheme, or under the teachers' superannuation scheme of 1925. It has been discovered that the teachers there, 17 in number, elected to come under the teachers' superannuation scheme, but, unfortunately, some of them were allowed to contract out, with the approval of the Minister of Health and the President of the Board of Education. A judgment of the House of Lords has pronounced that it was not permissible to contract out; therefore from the year 1926, when the Teachers' Superannuation Act came into operation, until the 1st April, 1930, these teachers will be prejudiced in respect of their superannuation unless special provision is made for them. The only way to make such provision was by introducing a special Clause in some local legislation, and the occasion has arisen in connection with the Birmingham Corporation (General Powers) Bill. Clause 73 proposes to remove the prejudice to the teachers.
Mr. MACLEANIf such a Money Resolution has become necessary, why was it not printed upon the Order Paper, so that hon. Members might read it and understand its purpose?
Mr. MACLEANThat is not my point. Any Resolution submitted to the House by any Minister ought to be upon the Order Paper. For a long time it has been the custom for any Resolution on Private Business, coming before Questions, to be printed, so that hon. Members might understand thoroughly what was coming before them, instead of having the Motion read verbally from the Chair. If the White Paper could be in the Vote Office for a day or two, surely the Resolution might have been printed, and put upon the Order Paper.
§ The CHAIRMANI understand that that is not the case in a Resolution moved under this procedure. The Resolution has to be printed if introduced under Standing Order 71A. Under the procedure adopted to-day the Resolution need not appear upon the Order Paper.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Resolution to be reported To-morrow.