§ 11. Mr. Nealasked the Paymaster-General how many members of the National Coal Board are excluded, under the terms of their appointment, from pension rights upon retirement.
§ Mr. MaudlingApart from the part-time Board members, of whom there are three, none of the members of the National Coal Board is excluded from pension rights under the terms of his appointment.
§ Mr. NealI am indebted to the Paymaster-General for that very informative reply. Will he please note the contrast between the treatment of those top-level executives with very short terms of service and that of the miners who have spent a life-time in the industry?
§ Mr. MaudlingWith respect, I do not think that that is an entirely fair point. The Government's policy, which, I understand, has been the policy for some time is to continue the pension arrangements to which a full-time member was entitled before appointment, or, if he was not otherwise entitled, subject to 10 year's qualifying service to give terms analogous to those of the Board's staff pensions scheme. I think that is perfectly reasonable.