HC Deb 07 March 1957 vol 566 cc664-5

9.58 p.m.

Mr. S. P. Viant (Willesden, West)

I beg to move, That, in pursuance of the provisions of section three of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1948, the maximum annual amounts of the periodical payments which may be made out of the House of Commons Members' Fund under the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1939, as amended by the said Act of 1948 and by the Resolution of the House of 17th November, 1955, be varied as from the first day of April, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven, as follows:

  1. (a) in paragraph 1 of the First Schedule to the said Act of 1939, as so amended (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of his past membership of the House of Commons shall not exceed three hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to three hundred and seventy-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "three hundred pounds" there shall be substituted the words "five hundred pounds" and for the words "three hundred and seventy-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "six hundred and fifty pounds";
  2. (b) in paragraph 2 of the said Schedule (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of her being the widow of a past member of the House of Commons shall not exceed one hundred and eighty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring her income up to two hundred and fifty-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "one hundred and eighty pounds" there shall be substituted the words "three hundred pounds" and for the words "two hundred and fifty-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "four hundred and fifty pounds";
  3. (c) in paragraph 2A of the said Schedule (under which the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of his being the widower of a past member of the House of Commons is not to exceed one hundred and eighty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to two hundred and fifty-five pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "one hundred and eighty pounds" there shall be substituted the words "three hundred pounds" and for the words "two hundred and fifty-five pounds" there shall be substituted the words "four hundred and fifty pounds."
The Motion is self-explanatory and feel that there is no need for me to inflict a speech upon the House. I hope that hon. Members will give the Motion their full support.

Mr. Walter Elliot (Glasgow, Kelvingrove)

I beg to second the Motion.

Question put and agreed to.

Motion made, and Question, That there be appropriated from the sums deducted from the salaries of Members of Parliament under the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1939, one-tenth of these deductions in the current year for the purposes of administering the provisions of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1948, Section 4—[Mr. Viant]—put and agreed to.