ASYLUMS OFFICERS SUPERANNUATION BILL. (Hansard, 5 August 1918)

§ VISCOUNT SANDHURST

My Lords, in moving that this Report he received I desire to fulfil an obligation I am under to Lord Russell. I promised to make a statement on the last occasion in regard to some criticisms of his, but in a rather overwhelming afternoon I am sorry to say it was lost sight of. By the Asylums Superannuation Act it is laid down that if pensioned, officer applies for a post under Government or under a local authority he should not receive more pay altogether in pay and pension, than he received on his retirement from his office. Any alteration of this would need an amendment of the superannuation Act, and is beyond the scope of the present Bill. It would not be possible to graft on to this Bill an amendment of the general provisons of the Superannuation Act. In the Asylums Officers Superannuation Act it is provided that there are two scales of pension, one based on one-fiftieth, the first class; and the other based on one-sixtieth, the second class. One fiftieth is a general provision on account of the dangerous and wearing duties of those officers; and it is considered—although, perhaps, some opinions may differ—that in the certified institutions the duties are not so dangerous. The existing rights of first-class officers transferred are safeguarded. If transferred they take their one-fiftieth with them.

I introduced an Amendment at the last stage to meet a point urged by the London County Council at the eleventh hour to assist in the difficulty of getting asylums officers to allow themselves to be transferred to institutions. Asylums officers retire at fifty-five; and under the Bill certified officers would retire at sixty. To meet this difficulty in the early years of these institutions it is enacted now that, if experienced asylums officers with ten years service are transferred, they shall retire at fifty-five.

I may say that I have communicated the sense of this statement to the noble Earl. I do not say that he is satisfied with all I have said, but at the same time he told me that he would not press the matter any further. I beg to move.