§ 8.29 p.m.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Mr. J. K. Vaughan-Morgan)I beg to move,
That the Draft National Health Service (Superannuation) (England and Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations, 1957, a cop)' of which was laid before this House on 20th March, be approved.I can assure the House that the object which these Regulations is intended to achieve is, fortunately, far less complicated than would appear from the Regulations themselves.The original regulations covering this matter were passed in 1948 and established the principle that when an employee in the National Health Service in England and Wales moved to employment in the National Health Service in Scotland, or vice versa, he would retain the superannuation rights which he had earned in the one country in his new employment in the other.
This established complete inter-changeability between the two National Health Services. Further than that, it is possible in both countries for employees to change between the National Health Service and the local government service, including teaching, without losing their superannuation rights.
This provision for complete interchangeability between the two countries 913 is a great help to the employees concerned and is thoroughly advantageous to the services concerned in both countries, in so far as it makes interchangeability of staff easier. As I have said, that interchange-ability was secured by the regulations in 1948, which these draft Regulations now seek to amend.
Let me give the House at once the assurance that the position is not, in any point of substance, in any way altered. The sole reason for amending the regulations is that since they were originally made there have been changes both in the local government superannuation law and in the superannuation regulations which govern the National Health Service Superannuation Schemes in England and Scotland. As a result of that we now have to bring the 1948 Regulations up to date.
I do not think that the House will want me to go through every single detail, but the principal Measures which make this change necessary have been the Local Government Superannuation Act, 1953, the Superannuation (Local Government and National Health Service) Interchange Rules of 1955, and the Superannuation (Local Government and National Health Service) (Scotland) Interchange Rules of 1955. It is the purpose of making these Regulations to bring the 1948 regulations up to date without in any way altering the present position of complete interchangeability. They in no way affect the Superannuation Schemes. They are entirely non-controversial, I hope. All the main bodies concerned have already been consulted.
§ 8.33 p.m.
§ Mr. A. Blenkinsop (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East)We on this side of the House welcome these Regulations. We are very much in favour of interchange-ability. We wish this were possible in private superannuation schemes, as these Regulations make clear that it is possible in public superannuation schemes.
§ Question put and agreed to.