§ 2.44 p.m.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, I am happy to say that these Regulations which it is my duty to put before your Lordships are also non-contentious. The National Health Service (Superannuation) Regulations, which these Regulations amend, govern the superannuation scheme provided for persons engaged in the National Health Service as employees or as medical and dental practitioners. As your Lordships know, this is a complicated scheme, and a change even of a minor character may, and in fact does, involve a number of lengthy amendments. This is the case with one of the amendments proposed in the draft which is now before your Lordships. Our purpose is to preserve the superannuation rights of officers who, within the limited period, after an approved course of study or training, re-enter Health Service employment; and this, though it is a comparatively minor improvement in the scheme, requires numerous amendments which cover three pages of the draft before your Lordships.
The other amendments fall under three heads. First, we propose to make an addition to the definition of "National Service," in order to preserve the superannuation rights of employees, and of medical and dental practitioners who enter whole-time service with the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces, just as they are preserved in respect of compulsory National Service under the National Service Act, 1948. Secondly, it is necessary to amend existing Regulations in order that sums 449 payable to dentists by patients under Section 2 of the National Health Service Act, 1952, are included in the dentists' gross remuneration for superannuation purposes. Thirdly, there are amendments designed simply to remedy drafting defects or to overcome difficulties met in the day-to-day administration of the scheme. I believe that all these amendments are necessary and non-controversial. I should like to state that the staff side of the Whitley Council of the National Health Service, professional associations, and other interested bodies have been consulted on these amendments which particularly concern them, and no objection has been made. Further, I can tell your Lordships that it will not increase the cost of the scheme very much to bring these amendments into operation. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the National Health Service (Superannuation) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1952, reported from the Special Orders Committee on Wednesday, the 18th instant, be approved.—(The Earl of Onslow.)
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I wish to thank the noble Earl for the statement he has just made. I had proposed to put a question to him, but he has been kind enough to reply in advance. I am very glad to know that in these delicate matters of negotiation the staff side and their organisations have been properly consulted. We do not propose to offer any objection to these Regulations.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.