HL Deb 26 March 1958 vol 208 c443

2.43 p.m.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW moved, That the Draft National Health Service (Superannuation) (Amendment) Regulations, 1958 be approved. The noble Earl said: My Lords, before I move these Regulations, perhaps I may make an apology to the House for the fact that they have been put on the Order Paper somewhat quickly. I take full responsibility for that. Perhaps I did not read my correspondence or discuss this matter as I should have done, but I did not realise that the Regulations had to be through by April 1 to make them work in conjunction with the Act which your Lordships passed on December 5. I offer my sincere apologies if in any way I have been discourteous to your Lordships in the matter.

These Regulations are entirely consequential on the transfer to the Minister of Health of the Royal Naval Hospital at Great Yarmouth under the Yarmouth Naval Hospital Transfer Act, 1957, which your Lordships passed in December. They deal with the superannuation position of the employees at the hospital, who will become officers of the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board from April 1, 1958, the date appointed by statutory order for transfer of the premises.

The effect of these Amendment Regulations is that the employees in question are given option and other rights precisely similar to those accorded to staff transferred with ex-Ministry of Pensions hospitals under the Transfer of Functions (Ministry of Pensions) Order, 1953, which in turn are precisely similar to the rights granted to staff transferred with their hospitals in 1948, and staff in premises since acquired under the National Health Service Act, 1946. I beg to move.

Moved, That the Draft National Health Service (Superannuation) (Amendment) Regulations, 1958, be approved.—(The Earl of Onslow.)

LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCE

My Lords, having listened to the noble Earl who introduced these Regulations, I have to say that we on this side of the House take no exception to the proposal, which seems to us quite sensible in all the circumstances.

On Question, Motion agreed to.