27. Colonel CHAPMANasked the President of the Board of Education how many teachers have been awarded gratuities on retirement under the Burnham scale during the year ended 31st March, 1932, and also during the 10 years ended 31st March, 1982; what is the total amount of those gratuities; what is the total sum paid by those teachers into the superannuation fund; and what is the total annual amount of pension which those teachers were entitled to on retirement for the same period?
§ Sir D. MACLEANThe award of superannuation benefits to teachers is regulated by the Teachers (Superannuation) Acts and not by the Burnham Scale. Under those Acts lump sums (additional superannuation allowances) were awarded to 3,695 teachers during the year ended 31st March, 1932, and to 31,255 teachers during the 10 years ending on that date. The amounts were £1,493,275 and £11,891,786, respectively. In addition, annual superannuation allowances were awarded to these teachers, amounting to £549,475 and £4,375,816, respectively. The exact sum paid by these teachers by way of superannuation contributions cannot be ascertained without an inordinate amount of labour. It may, however, be taken that the total contributions paid by the 3,695 teachers who were pensioned in the year ended 31st March, 1932, did not exceed £600,000. As contributions under the Acts were not required before 1st June, 1922, the teachers who were pensioned earlier had paid proportionately less.
Colonel CHAPMANIn view of the urgent need for national economy, will the Minister take into consideration the taking of steps to do away with these superannuation payments altogether?
§ Sir D. MACLEANNo. There is no intention of doing away with any of these pensions or these lump sum payments.
§ Sir P. HARRISAre not these superannuation payments deferred payments of wages?