§ 2.52 p.m.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT WOOLTON)My Lords, these Regulations provide for the superannuation of persons engaged in the National Health Service in England and Wales, except employees of local health and education authorities. They consolidate, with Amendments, existing Regulations, the principal of which are the National Health Service (Superannuation) Regulations, 1950. The Special Orders Committee of your Lordships' House have reported that "the regulations do not raise important considerations of policy and principle, and are founded on precedent," but because 812 of their length and complexity the Committee thought that the special attention of your Lordships' House should be drawn to them. The Regulations are necessarily long and complex because they cover a comprehensive code dealing with a variety of people, from kitchen maids to consultants, and cover general medical and dental practitioners, as well as staff receiving wages and salaries. They protect the rights carried over by staff from superannuation schemes which covered them before the National Health Service was introduced, and they make certain provisions for the interchange of superannuation benefits to promote flexibility in the movement of staff from one place to another. I hope that, with that commendation, your Lordships will be good enough to accept the Regulations. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Draft National Health Service (Superannuation) Regulations, 1955, reported from the Special Orders Committee on Wednesday last, be approved.—(Viscount Woolton.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.