THE EARL OF MORLEYsaid he had an Amendment on the Paper with regard to this Bill, but after conversation he had had with the authorities of the Local Government Board, he did nut intend to move it. The Bill enabled superannuation allowances to be paid by the Corporation of Birmingham to its employés. The Bill, as first introduced, provided that the employés should pay it certain sum, to be deducted front their pay, this to be supplemented by a further sum to be given by the Corporation providing out of the rates superannuation for employés who had reached a certain age, or had broken down bodily or mentally. It seemed to him and others that it was not fair to employés if they retired voluntarily before the period at which they would be entitled to their pensions, that they should lose the whole of their contributions to the superannuation fund, or the corporation rates as the case might be. But this had been remedied, and it was provided by the Bill that, if an employé voluntarily retired before he was entitled to his pension, he would receive back his payments to the superannuation fund. If this were not done it would make employés far too dependent upon their employers, because if this power were given to municipalities generally it would be difficult to refuse it to large employers of labour such as railway companies and others. In addition to the actual sums he had paid to the fund—which, after all, were deductions from a to man's pay—which he received when he voluntarily retired, he should be entitled to some percentage on the sums accruing from year to year. But, finding the Local Government Board were opposed to his Amendment, on the ground that it would create a precedent, which it would be difficult for them to deal with hereafter, he would withdraw his Amendment, which he should be sorry to move in opposition to the view of a Government Department.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Bill passed.