§ 2.50 p.m.
§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of the Fourth Report from the Select Committee.
§ The Committee reported as follows:
§ 1.—RECORD COPIES OF PUBLIC ACTS
§ The Committee have considered a report from the Sub-Committee appointed on the 10th April last to consider whether the record copies of Public General Acts should be printed on good durable paper instead of vellum. The Sub-Committee heard evidence from Sir John Simpson, C.B., Controller of H.M. Stationery Office, and from Mr. Maurice Bond, Clerk of the Records of the House, and recommended that the existing practice of printing record copies of Public Acts on vellum should be continued, The Committee adopted the Sub-Committee's recommendation.
§ 2.—OFFICIAL SHORTHAND WRITER
§ The Committee approved an increase in the annual retaining fee for the Official Shorthand Writer as agreed with the House of Commons and the Treasury with effect from the 1st April 1957.
38§ 3.—REVISED SCALES OF PAY
§ The Committee sanctioned the application of Establishments Circulars—
| 11/57 and 25/57 | Improvement of Higher Grades Pay, |
| 21/57 | Pay etc., of Messengers and Paperkeepers, |
| 23/57 | Pay of Women Cleaners, |
§ to analogous grades of the staff of the House of Lords.
§ The Committee also sanctioned consequential increases in superannuation awards in three cases.
§ 4.—HANSARD REPORTING STAFF
§ The Committee were informed of the increasing pressure of work en the Hansard Reporting Staff, and accordingly authorised the appointment of an additional whole-time Reporter.
§ 5.—POLICE
§ The Committee authorised provision for the increased cost of Police services for the year ending 31st March, 1958.
§ 6.—ACCOUNTANT'S OFFICE
§ The Committee sanctioned the commencing salary paid to Mr. C. G. Osborne on his appointment as Clerical Officer in the Parliament Office from 6th May, 1957.
§ 7.—RETIREMENT OF PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE LORDS OF APPEAL
§ The Committee sanctioned the payment of a pension and an additional allowance under the Superannuation Acts to Mr. Ernest Charles Bolting. M.B.E., who retired from the post of Personal Assistant to the Lords of Appeal on 23rd June, 1957, after 36 completed years' service in the Parliament Office.
§ 8.—EXPENSES OF PEERS
§ The Committee were informed that provision had been made in the House of Lords Vote for enabling members of the House, other than Ministers, etc., to recover any expenses certified by them as incurred for the purpose of attendance at sittings of the House or of Committees of the House, other than sittings for judicial business, within a maximum of three guineas for each day of such attendance.
§ 9.—LORD CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES
§ The Committee approved the Treasury proposal to increase the salary of the Lord Chairman of Committees from £2,500 to £3,250 with effect from 1st July, 1957.
§ 10.—ESTIMATES
§ A Supplementary Estimate for the House of Lords for the year 1957–58 arising out of the last two items mentioned above, was laid before the Committee and approved.
§ 11.—POSTAL FACILITIES
§ The Committee considered whether any arrangements could be made for providing "Official Paid" envelopes for Peers when writing on official business, and requested the Clerk of the Parliaments to look into this question.
39THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS AND LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, when I asked the House yesterday to postpone this matter until to-day I thought that the Lord Chairman of Committees, the noble Earl, Lord Drogheda, would be able to be here. As he is not able to be here, I beg to move that this Report be now considered.
§ Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.
§ Moved. That the Report be agreed to.—(The Earl of Home.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.