HC Deb 23 April 1948 vol 449 cc2206-8
Mr. Glenvil Hall

I beg to move, in page 8, line 6, to leave out "section," and to insert "subsection."

This is a minor drafting Amendment. The rules will actually be made under Subsection (1) of this Clause, rather than under the whole Clause.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

I beg to move, in page 8, line 39, at the end, to insert: (d) persons who, having been employed by the body known as the Meteorological Committee, became at any time before the passing of this Act civil servants in the Meteorological Office of the Secretary of State, not being civil servants subject to a superannuation scheme to which section five of the Superannuation Act, 1946 (which relates to the application to persons employed in the civil service of the State of certain superannuation schemes), applies. From 1910 until 1920, the responsibility for Government meteorology rested with a body known as the Meteorological Committee. Some of the staff employed were covered by a superannuation scheme run by the Committee itself. For others, there was no superannuation provision. In April, 1920, the Meteorological Office, together with the staff, were taken over by the Air Ministry. The staff, were given the option of remaining, and some chose to to remain, subject to the Meteorological Committee's superannuation scheme and not to become established civil servants. Others came under the Federated Superannuation Scheme for Universities, known as the F.S.S.U., as applied to Government servants; others became established civil servants subject to the Civil Service Superannuation Acts. Those who did that forewent any rights under the Committee's scheme.

The purpose of this Amendment is to enable the Treasury to make rules allowing the service of those who became established civil servants in the Meteorological Office, not being subject to the F.S.S.U., to reckon their service under the Meteorological Committee as unestablished service under the Superannuation Acts. In other words, it permits them to count as to half their earlier service before they joined the Air Ministry staff and became established civil servants.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

I beg to move, in page 9, line 23, at the end, to insert: (3) Rules to be made by the Treasury under this Subsection may make provision to secure that benefits corresponding as nearly as may be to the benefits conferred under Subsection (1) of this Section on or in respect of the persons specified in paragraph (d) of that Subsection are conferred on or in respect of persons who, having been employed by the aforesaid Meteorological Committee, were at any time before the passing of this Act employed in the civil service of the State in the aforesaid Meteorological Office and became and thereafter remained subject to a superannuation scheme to which Section five of the Superannuation Act, 1946, applies. This is complementary to the Amendment just accepted. It permits those who elected in the early 1920's to go under the F.S.S.U. scheme and not to become established civil servants to count service in the same way as under the Amendment which has just been accepted.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.