§ 60 Mr. Keelingasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) whether pensioned civil servants who are re-employed by the Government receive extra pay to meet the increased cost of living;
(2) whether pensioned civil servants who, on re-employment, are given more important work than the work they were doing on retirement are eligible for higher pay than they received on retirement;
(3) whether pensioned civil servants who, during re-employment, complete the period qualifying them for maximum pension, are eligible to receive it.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Assheton)A Civil Service pensioner who is re-employed receives the pay appropriate to his new post, together with the Civil Service war bonus (if any) appropriate to his rate of pay. He is not limited to the pay of his former office, and if the normal remuneration of his new office is higher than that of his old office, he is eligible to receive it. If he is re-employed in an established capacity, his further service is reckonable for superannuation purposes. Under wartime arrangements, however, all Civil Service pensioners are being re-employed in a temporary capacity and their further service does not so reckon. As against this, civil servants who reach normal retiring age but are retained in the service are at present allowed to choose between formal retirement, followed by re-employment, and continuance in an established capacity. In the latter event, their service continues to count for pension purposes, and is thus of benefit to them unless they have already qualified for maximum pension.
§ Mr. W. J. BrownCan the Financial Secretary give the House one case out of 250,000 appointments where a retired civil servant has been brought back to enter the post he occupied at the time he retired, and is it not the case that although bonus is given, that affects the amount of pension a man can draw under the 1934 Superannuation Act?
§ Mr. AsshetonI cannot answer the first part of the Question without notice. We were able to discuss the other part of the Question the other day, and my hon. Friend knows perfectly well what the answer is.