HL Deb 26 July 1922 vol 51 cc876-9

Amendments reported (according to Order).

Clause 1:

Disbandment of the Royal Irish Constabulary.

1.—(1) The Royal Irish Constabulary shall be disbanded on such day, not being later than the thirty-first day of July nineteen hundred and twenty-two, as may be fixed by the Lord Lieutenant, and on or before that date every officer and constable of that force shall retire from the force as and when required by the Lord Lieutenant, and shall on his retirement be entitled to receive such compensation as may be awarded to him by the Treasury in accordance with the rules contained in Part I of the First Schedule to this Act and, in the event of his dying after a compensation allowance has been awarded to him, the Treasury shall grant a pension or gratuities to his widow and children in accordance with the said rules as so amended and modified.

Provided that in awarding such pensions no deduction shall be made by reason of the fact that any compensation has been awarded in respect of injuries sustained in the discharge of his duties by such officer or constable.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (VISCOUNT PEEL) moved, in subsection (1), to leave out, "July" and insert "August." The noble Viscount said: This is merely a drafting Amendment, substituting "August" for "July." It is quite obvious that disbandment cannot be carried out this month, owing to the delay in this Bill.

Amendment moved— Page 1, line 8, leave out ("July") and insert ("August").—(Viscount Peel.)

VISCOUNT PEEL

My other Amendments in the proviso to subsection (1) are merely to carry out undertakings given that I would put the subsequent Amendments of Lord Carson into form, and carry out what he stated was his intention. I have done so.

Amendments moved—

Page 1, line 20, leave out ("such pensions") and insert ("any such compensation allowance, pension, or gratuity")

Page 1, line 22, after ("awarded") insert ("to the officer or constable")

Page 1, line 23, leave out ("by such officer or constable").—(Viscount Peel.)

On Question, Amendments agreed, to.

Clause 2:

Tribunal for dealing with individual cases of hardship.

2. For the purpose of dealing with questions arising in the administration of this Act there shall be appointed a tribunal with such powers and duties as appear in the Second and Third Schedules to this Act.

LORD MUIR MACKENZIE moved to leave out "and duties." The noble Lord said: In drafting this and other Amendments on the Paper I have had some assistance. So far as I can judge, they raise no question of controversy, and I do not think there ought to be any difficulty in passing them. They cover some criticisms that were made in the course of the previous debate, and they correct certainly one mistake that occurs in the Third Schedule. They also put right, I think, some other things that, if the Schedule stands, will enable it to work. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 4, line 8, leave out ("and duties").—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)

VISCOUNT PEEL

May I say, with regard to one and all of these Amendments, that although I do not of course accept the Amendments to which they are moved, I think it is just as well that they should go down to the other House as a matter of form.

LORD MUIR MACKENZIE

My other Amendments are drafting Amendments, and I do not think there can be any opposition to them. They refer to Clause 3 and the Second and Third Schedules.

Clause 3 (Provisions as to disturbance allowance, &c.):

Amendment moved— Page 4, line 13, leave out from ("Constabulary") to ("and") in line 15, and insert ("to whom compensation is payable under section one of this Act or who at the date fixed for the disbandment of the force is in receipt of a pension under the enactments relating to the Royal Irish Constabulary").—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)

Second Schedule (Tribunal for dealing with individual cases of hardship):

Amendments moved—

Page 9, line 20, leave out ("and duties")

Page 9, line 35, at end insert ("or otherwise").—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)

Third Schedule (A) Disturbance Allowance; (B) Free Railway Warrants: (C) Separation Allowance):

Amendments moved—

Page 10, line 5, at end insert ("(in the case of an officer or man to whom compensation is payable under section one of this Act)")

Page 10, lines 28 and 29, leave out ("the Deputy Inspector-General, Royal Irish Constabulary, Dublin Castle") and insert ("the Chief Secretary or the Colonial Office")

Page 10, line 38, after ("return") insert ("to") and leave out ("after having returned"), and at end insert ("the date of")

Page 11, line 2, leave out from ("use") to end of line 3.

Page 11, line 6, after ("after") insert ("the date of")

Page 11, line 9, leave out ("the") and insert ("any")

Page 11, line 14, at end insert: ("In this Schedule the expression 'date of disbandment' means the date of discharge in the case of an officer or man to whom compensation is payable under section one of this Act, and the date fixed for the disbandment of the force in the ease of an officer or man in receipt of a pension").—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

Will the Third Reading of the Bill be taken to-morrow?

VISCOUNT PEEL

Yes.