HL Deb 21 February 1922 vol 49 cc164-6

Order of the Day read for the consideration of the First Report from the Select Committee.

The Committee reported inter alia—

1. ESTIMATES (a) REFRESILMENT ROOM:

(b) CALENDARING HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

(a) The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that the Treasury had intimated to the Lord Great Chamberlain that it was proposed to discontinue the annual grant of £500 in aid of the Refreshment Room in the House of Lords, as well as that in aid of the Refreshment Room in the House of Commons.

The Committee decided that in view of the general financial situation no objection could be taken to the action of the Treasury, and referred the whole subject of catering fur the House of Lords to their Refreshment Sub-Committee. They re-appointed this Sub-Committee, which consists of the Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord Muir Mackenzie, and Lord Lambourne, together with the Clerk of the Parliaments.

(b) The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that the Treasury objected to the item of £360 for Calendaring Historical Manuscripts, and asked the Committee to continue some payment for the purpose on account of the importance of the work. The Committee, although they did not admit the right of the Treasury to strike out any item in the Estimates without reference to them, decided, after an independent consideration of the matter, that the work should be suspended for the coming Financial Year, and that the subject should again be brought forward in relation to the following year's Estimates.

2. GALLERY FOR USE OF OFFICIALS.

The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, as representing the Office of Works, brought forward the question of the Galleries which are placed on either side of the Throne at the Opening of Parliament.

The Committee decided that the Gallery on the east side of the Throne should be re-erected for this session for the use of officials whose duties entailed their attendance at the House.

3. RESIGNATION OF THE LIBRARIAN.

The Committee accepted with regret the resignation of the Librarian, Mr. A. H. M. Butler, on the ground of ill-health.

He has been Librarian since September 21st, 1914, and has twenty-six completed years' service in the House of Lords.

A Certificate was furnished by his regular medical attendant, bringing his case within Section 10 of the Superannuation Act, 1859, which authorises the grant of a pension to Civil Servants retiring on the ground of ill-health.

Mr. Butler is entitled, in accordance with the Superannuation Acts, to a pension of £417 16s. and to a gratuity of£1,192 2s.4d., and the Committee authorised the grant of the pension and gratuity accordingly.

Under the resolution passed by the Offices Committee in March, 1917, the appointment to the post of Librarian is vested in the Offices Committee subject to the approval of the House.

The Committee appointed a Sub-Committee, consisting of the Marquess of Crewe, Viscount Haldane and Viscount Ullswater, to consider a fresh appointment.

4. APPOINTMENTS.

The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that Mr. Algernon Frederick Roland Dudley Ryder, M.C., late Royal Artillery, and Mr. Courtney H. C. Healey, late Grenadier Guards, have been appointed Clerks in the Parliament Office to fill vacancies caused respectively by the transference of Mr. J. B. Hotham and Mr. A. Chichester to the Northern Parliament of Ireland.

Owing to the transference of Mr. J. B. Hotham's services to the Northern Parliament of Ireland on September 16th, 1921, a proportion of his pension, calculated on the lines of Section 4 of the Superannuation Act, 1914, will be due hereafter from the House of Lords.

Mr. Hotham his completed twenty-two years and ten months in the service of the House.

5. REVISION OF A PENSION, AND REMUNERATION OF HEAD MESSENGER IN THE PRINTED PAPER OFFICE.

In August, 1921, the Committee granted a pension to Mr. J. Lane, one of the Principal Doorkeepers, to commence on October 5th (the date of his retirement). The amount of the pension was, however, to be revised, if alterations were made by the Treasury, before the pension became payable, in the calculation of Bonus. The Clerk of the Parliaments, informed the Committee that alterations had been made by the Treasury in this respect, the consequence of which was that the pension granted to Mr. J. Lane should be £314 8s. 8d. instead of £345 5s.

The Committee approved of this revision of the pension.

The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that, n accordance with the decision of the Committee on July 27th, 1920, the scale of pay of the Head Messenger in the Printed Paper Office has been fixed at£120 a year, rising to the max mum of£170, that scale to commence from December 1st, 1921.

6. PROVISIONAL ORDER CONFIRMATION BILLS.

The Clerk of the Parliaments represented to the Committee that the fee authorised to be taken on the Second Reading of Provisional Order Bills was not properly applicable in the case of Scottish Provisional Order Bills.

The Committee authorised the remission of the fee in this case.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE)

My Lords, I beg to move that this Report be now considered and adopted.

Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.