HC Deb 04 September 1939 vol 351 cc428-9

Order for Second Reading read.

6.6 p.m.

Mr. Colville

I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill is really the counterpart of the Bill with which we have just dealt and relates to teachers in Scotland. Its main purpose is to enable war service given by teachers in Scotland to be treated as service for the purposes of the superannuation scheme. It makes a departure from previous enactments in that it removes in certain cases the statutory obligation resting on teachers and employers to pay contributions in respect of service reckoned for purposes of pensions; but that is limited to periods of war service and to teachers who are in receipt of any balance of civil pay and are receiving less by way of war service pay than they would have been receiving as salary in civil life. The Bill provides that a person who interrupts or postpones his period of training in the teaching profession in order to render war service shall be deemed to be a teacher during the period of such service. That will result in war service being credited to him for superannuation purposes when he has eventually completed his period of training. This Bill does not require a Financial Resolution because it does not impose a charge on the Exchequer. The expenditure arising under it will be a charge on the Education (Scotland) Fund, which under existing legislation receives from the Exchequer eleven-eightieths of the expenditure on superannuation of teachers in England and Wales. This Bill does not, therefore, impose a fresh charge.

Mr. Lees-Smith

Again we accept and welcome this Bill.

Question, ''That the Bill be now read a Second time," put, and agreed to.

Bill read a Second time.

Resolved, "That this House will immediately resolve itself into the Committee on the Bill."—[Captain McEwen.]

Bill accordingly considered in Committee; reported, without Amendment; read the Third time, and passed.