§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ LORD HYLTONMy Lords, I do not know that I need trouble your Lordships with any long remarks upon the subject of this Bill, to which I ask you to give a Second Reading this afternoon, because two Papers have been presented and circulated among your Lordships, one the Report of the Prisons Superannuation Committee and another a Memorandum on this Bill, which I think will give all the information that your Lordships may naturally desire to have regarding the provisions of the Bill. Briefly, special provision is asked for in this Bill with regard to the retiring age and superannuation allowances of warders in prisons and attendants in criminal lunatic asylums. The evidence that was brought before the Committee appointed to consider this matter was to the effect—and this will be easily appreciated by your Lordships—that the work, under difficulties and hardships I might almost say, to which prison warders and attendants in criminal lunatic asylums are subjected is such that it was deemed only fair by the Committee that men of this class should be allowed to retire on superannuation at an earlier age than is the case with other civil servants. If your Lordships will glance at the Bill you will see that Clause 1 substitutes the age of fifty-five years for that of sixty as the age of retirement at which, without a medical certificate, superannuation allowance may be granted. It certainly appeared evident to the Committee that in many if not most cases, in view of the very difficult duties to which I have alluded which cause so much strain to the individuals concerned, it was only fair that the men should be entitled at the age of fifty-five, if Parliament so sanctioned, to the superannuation allowance. Briefly, that is the effect of the Bill to which I have to ask your Lordships to give a Second Reading.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Hylton.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.