HC Deb 17 May 1961 vol 640 cc1508-11

10.0 p.m.

Mr. James Griffiths (Llanelly)

I beg to move, 1. That in pursuance of the provisions of section three of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1948, the maximum annual amounts of the periodic 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 Resolutions of the House of 17th November, 1955 and 7th March, 1957, be varied as from the first day of June, nineteen hundred and sixty-one, as follows:— (a) for 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 five hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to six hundred and fifty pounds per annum, whichever is the less), there shall be substituted the following paragraph:— 1. 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 five hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to seven hundred pounds per annum, whichever is the less: Provided that if, having regard to length of service and need, the trustees think fit, they may make a larger payment not exceeding nine hundred pounds or such sum as, in their opinion, will bring his income up to one thousand one hundred pounds per annum, whichever is the less"; (b) for paragraph 2 of the said Schedule (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of being the widow of a past member of the House of Commons shall not exceed three hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring her income up to four hundred and fifty pounds per annum, whichever is the less), there shall be substituted the following paragraph:— 2. The annual amount of any periodical payment to any person by virtue of her being a widow of a past member of the House of Commons shall not exceed three hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring her income up to five hundred pounds per annum, whichever is the less: Provided that if, having regard to her husband's length of service or to her need, the trustees think fit, they may make a larger payment not exceeding four hundred and fifty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring her income up to six hundred and fifty pounds per annum, whichever is the less"; (c) in paragraph 2A of the said Schedule (which provides that the annual amount of any periodical payment made to any person by virtue of being the widower of a past member 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 four hundred and fifty pounds per annum, whichever is the less), for the words "the annual amount of any periodical payment" to the end of the paragraph, there shall be substituted the words— The annual amount of any periodical payment made to any such widower shall not exceed three hundred pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to five hundred pounds per annum, whichever is the less: Provided that if, having regard to his wife's length of service or to his need, the trustees think fit, they may make a larger payment not exceeding four hundred and fifty pounds or such sum as, in the opinion of the trustees, will bring his income up to six hundred and fifty pounds per annum, whichever is the less". 2. That, in pursuance of the provisions of section three of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1948, the amount of the sums to be deducted or set aside from the salaries of Members of the House of Commons under subsection (3) of section one of the House of Commons Members' Fund Act, 1939, as amended by the Resolution of the House of 18th July, 1957, shall be varied as from the date of this resolution by the substitution in that subsection of the word "twenty-four" for the word "eighteen". The Motion is in my name and that of hon. Members of all parties who serve with me in administering the House of Commons Members' Fund.

I do not think that I need detain the House for more than a moment or two to explain the new provisions which this Motion will authorise the trustees to make, because they are set out in considerable detail. I hope that it will be unanimously approved by the House. I assure the House that there is need for it and that it will be warmly welcomed by those who benefit from the Fund.

I should like to say, on behalf of my fellow-trustees, that recently we were informed that a former colleague, the late Viscount Bracken, known to us as Mr. Brendan Bracken, had made provision in his will for a bequest of £1,000 towards the Members' Fund. I think that all hon. Members will remember his kindness with gratitude and I hope that the House will accept the Motion unanimously.

10.1 p.m.

Mr. Sydney Silverman (Nelson and Colne)

I do not propose to detain the House for more than a minute and I do not propose to oppose the Motion. I know that it will do a great deal of good and that some people will be assisted as a result of it as they ought to be assisted.

I therefore hesitate very much to say a single word in criticism of the Motion, but I should not like the occasion to pass without recording my surprise that my right hon. Friend the Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths), who has spent half a lifetime opposing the means test, should be in favour of a means test as applied to the pensions of Members of this House.

The principle is all wrong. I know that I can do little or nothing about it, but I did not want the occasion to pass without saying that it was wrong.

10.2 p.m.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. R. A. Butler)

As Leader of the House, I should like to support the Motion and to pay a tribute to the trustees of the Fund for the manner in which they have administered it. The right hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths) and his colleagues have done a good service to the House and have helped many retired Members and widows.

I feel that the Motion represents an advance. It involves an increase in Exchequer contribution. This is a benevolent scheme. It is not a pension scheme. One day we may move into the sphere of a pension scheme, but that would involve considerable extra financial liability and we are not able to do so at the moment. In the circumstances, I hope that the House will approve this at the best arrangement for the time being.

I should also like to pay my tribute to the bequest of the late Lord Bracken and again to thank the trustees for their work.

Question put and agreed to.