§ 44. Sir Irving Alberyasked the Minister of Labour whether he can now make a statement, for public information, concerning the bar to the acceptance of paid employment which is imposed by many of the trust deeds dealing with superannuation; and to what extent this hinders such persons from performing useful war work for which they may be otherwise fitted?
§ Mr. TomlinsonSo far as I am aware, these trust deeds do not impose a bar on the acceptance of paid employment by pensioners but they commonly provide that the pension which would otherwise have been payable is to be suspended or reduced so long as the employee concerned is employed by the firm paying the pension. My right hon. Friend has 2252 no evidence that this is having any appreciable effect on the continuance of pensioners on work either with their former employers or with some other employer, and in the absence of such evidence he would not feel justified in taking steps to interfere with the conditions on which these pensions are granted.
§ Sir I. AlberyWill my hon. Friend bear in mind that when a man has to give up the whole of his pension to take up some other service, he is usually involved in some additional expenditure; and is he aware that there are a number of men who could do useful service but cannot because of this condition?
§ Mr. TomlinsonWe should like to have some evidence of that.