§ 1. RETIREMENT OF SIR ALBERT GRAY, K.C.B., K.C., COUNSEL TO THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES, AND APPOINTMENT OF HIS SUCCESSOR.
§ The Chairman of Committees informed the Committee that his Counsel, Sir Albert Gray, K.C.B., K.C., had expressed his desire to resign his post as from the 1st of January, 1923.
§ Sir Albert Gray's long and distinguished services, extending over a, period of 26 years, are well known to the house. The Committee wish to record their appreciation of Sir Albert's devotion to duty, and their great regret that he should feel it necessary to sever his official connection with the House.
§ The Chairman of Committees has appointed the Hon. Hugh Godley, of the Parliamentary Counsel's Office, to be Sir Albert, Gray's successor.
§ 2. SIR ALBERT GRAY'S PENSION.
§ The Committee, in accordance with precedent, have authorised the grant of a pension to Sir Albert Gray as from the date of his retirement, calculated in the usual way in accordance with the Superannuation Act, 1859. The amount of the, pension so calculated is £780. There will also be a supplement under the new Treasury agreement, amounting at present to £86 13s. 4d., but this supplement is subject to quarterly revision.
466§ 3. SEPPLY OF FITTINGS FOR CERTAIN OF THE MUNIMENT ROOMS IN THE VICTORIA TOWER.
§ The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that owing to certain of the muniment rooms in the Victoria Tower being required by the Clerk of the Crown for the storage of election ballot papers, it had been found necessary to transfer from them a large quantity of Parliamentary plans for which no suitable accommodation is now available. He pointed out that these plans, which am constantly increasing, are frequently consulted and should be readily accessible.
§ The Committee recommend that an estimate of £200 should be authorised for the purpose.
§ 4. ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE LIBRARIANS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS AND HOUSE OF COMMONS TO FACILITATE THE DISPOSAL OF DUPLICATE BOOKS AND PAPERS.
§ The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that in conformity with a suggestion made by the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, who was then First Commissioner of Works, at the last meeting of the Committee, the, two Librarians had met and arrived at an arrangement by which it was hoped that the immediate difficulty with regard to space for books in the House of Commons had been solved by the removal to the Record Office of a large number of House of Lords Sessional Papers covering the period 1800–1873. This removal had been rendered possible by the Librarian of the House of Lords giving facilities to the Librarian of the House of Commons for access to these papers, which are kept in the corridor outside the House of Lords Library.
§ 5. RETIREMENT OF A VRINCIPAL DOORKEEPER.
§ The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod informed the Committee that Mr. A. A. Edney, Principal Doorkeeper, will retire on the 27th of January, 1923, and will then have been in the service of the House for a period of forty years.
§ The Committee sanctioned the grant to Mr. Edney on his retirement of a pension of £133 6s. 8d. This sum is calculated on his present salary of £200 per annum, and, owing to the special circumstances of Mr. Edney's case, is not based on the three years' average. In addition to this pension, Mr. Edney will also receive a supplement under the new Treasury agreement amounting at the present time to £80 3s., but this supplement is subject to quarterly revision.