EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) (SUPERANNUATION) BILL. (Hansard, 28 July 1925)

LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH

My Lords, I do not think it will be necessary to occupy much of your Lordships' time in the consideration of this Bill. The noble and learned Viscount who sits on the Front Bench opposite remarked yesterday, when the business of the House was under consideration, that we must not assume that this Bill was the same as the English Bill which your Lordships passed last week. He was, of course, perfectly correct in what he said so far as the form of the Bill is concerned. But as a matter of fact the result of this Bill on the teachers in Scotland will be precisely the same as the result of the English Bill on teachers in England. Indeed, the main object of this Bill is to assimilate the conditions of superannuation of teachers in Scotland to those which may be adopted in the case of teachers in England and Wales. The difference of form which exists in this Bill arises from the fact that, instead of specifying the conditions of superannuation in the Bill, the Bill provides that the Department shall submit a scheme for superannuation the main lines of which are laid down. This is following the precedent of the Acts of 1908 and 1919, and it is a method which has worked well in the past and which it may be confidently expected will work satisfactorily in the future.

In this matter of superannuation of teachers Scotland has always been ahead of England. Public opinion in Scotland has always favoured a scheme which would be contributory, not only by the education authority but also by the teachers themselves, and the plunge into a non-contributory scheme which the example of England forced us to take in 1918 was regretted in Scotland both by the employers, the education authorities, and by the, teachers themselves. I think I can say with some confidence that a return to what we regard as sound lines of policy 495 will be welcomed by the employers and by the teachers in Scotland. The intention is that in future the contributions are to be a permanent feature of the scheme. At present the contribution of 5 per cent. by the teachers is levied under authority, first, of the Act of 1922 and extended by the Act of 1924, and the Parliamentary authority expires on July 31, which is the reason why it is necessary for your Lordships, if you see fit to do so, to ensure the passage of the Bill by that date.

As to the scheme for superannuation allowances, although the directions in the Bill are of a general character, a preliminary draft of the scheme has been circulated and all parties are satisfied that it is, in fact, in conformity with the English Act which was passed last week. The main result of the passage of the Bill will be to promote the circulation of teachers between the two countries; not only between the schools of Scotland on the one side and England and Wales on the other, but also between the schools and to some extent the Universities, for a teacher who passes from service in a school to service in a University will carry with him his rights to superannuation allowances. Anything which links up the educational system in this way must, I think, promote the sense of unity in the service in which lies strength. The Bill was welcomed by all Parties in another place and no opposition of any kind was offered. I think that anything which will help to get rid, as this Bill will do, of the feeling of instability and uncertainty which has surrounded the question of superannuation allowances for some years cannot but promote good feeling and contentment in a profession where discontent and dissatisfaction cannot but be fraught with special danger to the community. I beg to move.