HL Deb 01 August 1972 vol 334 cc159-62

2.25 p.m.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE. EARL OF LISTOWEL): rose to move that the Fifth Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.

The Committee reported as follows:

1. DINING ROOM EXTENSION

The Committee agree that a notice should be circulated to Peers setting out the temporary curtailment of facilities and inconvenience resulting from the commencement of the work upon the new Dining Room Extension.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS TO THE HOUSE

The Committee were informed that the Asantahene had offered a ceremonial sword to the House and that the acceptance of this generous offer was supported by the High Commissioner for Ghana and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Committee have invited the Lord Chancellor to accept the sword in his capacity as Speaker of the House. The Lord Chancellor has indicated his grateful acceptance of the gift.

3. FINANCIAL SUB-COMMITTEE

The Committee consider that there is a need for a new Sub-Committee "To examine and report in an advisory capacity upon detailed financial proposals before such proposals are brought before the Committee". The Committee recommend that for this purpose the Estimates Sub-Committee be reconstituted with the addition to its terms of reference of the words quoted above.

The Committee propose to appoint the Chairman of the Refreshment Sub-Committee (Lord Nugent of Guildford) and the Chairman of the Library Committee (Lord Champion) to the Financial Sub-Committee, which would also be authorised to co-opt further Lords.

4. PARLIAMENT OFFICE

The Committee authorised an additional post of Personal Secretary.

5. HANSARD REPORTING STAFF

The Committee sanctioned the payment of revised attendance fees to permanent Editors and Reporters and temporary Reporters when the House of Lords sits after 10.30 p.m. with effect from the 1st November, 1971.

The Committee were informed of the temporary secondment of an Editor from the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Hansard staff and authorised the payment of the cost of travelling, subsistence allowance and late night attendance fees.

The Committee also authorised revised rates of payment to permanent Reporters acting as Sub-Editors for Select Committees on Public Bills.

6. REVISED SCALES OF PAY

The Committee sanctioned the application of D.E.O. (72) (PAY) No. 7 dated 13th July, 1972—Pay of the Higher Civil Service—to Officers of corresponding grades in the House of Lords.

7. NIGHT DUTY ALLOWANCES

The Committee authorised the payment of Night Duty and Disturbance allowances to certain members of the staff with effect from 1st June, 1972.

8. SUPERANNUATION

The Committee sanctioned the application of the provisions of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme 1972 made under the Superannuation Act 1972, to the staff of the House of Lords.

The Committee also sanctioned the payment of the following superannuation awards under the 1972 scheme:—

  1. (a) Pension and lump sum to Lieutenant-Commander Sidney Edward Glover, O.B.E., D.S.C., Staff Superintendent, who retires from 1st September 1972;
  2. (b) Revised Pension and lump sum to Mr. Frank Maitland, Reporter, who retired from the 1st May, 1972;
  3. (c) Pension and lump sum to Miss Joan Parnall Culverwell, M.B.E., Examiner of Acts, who retired from the 1st June, 1972;
  4. (d) Revised Pension and Additional Allowance to Mr. Henry Alfred Machal Kemp, B.E.M., former Principal Doorkeeper, who retired from the 1st May, 1972 after reemployed service as Doorkeeper;
  5. (e) Death gratuity to legal personal representative of Thomas Malcolm Taylor (deceased) former Doorkeeper, who died on the 5th April, 1972;
  6. (f) Death gratuity to legal personal representative of Miss Isobel Moreton (deceased) former Housemaid, who died on the 6th May, 1972.

The noble Earl said: My Lords, I beg to move that this Report be agreed to.

Moved, That the Report be agreed to.—(The Earl of Listowel.)

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for introducing this Report. May I make one suggestion with regard to item 3 of the Report? While welcoming the setting up of the Financial Sub-Committee, may I inquire whether or not we shall need to have a formal resolution? Perhaps it might be left in the hands of the Offices Committee to add to the sub-committee Lord Nugent and Lord Champion? Since this is a sub-committee do we need to approve the item in this House?

May I say that there are also possibly some noble Lords with experience of finance, accountancy and personnel management who could be considered. There are a number of colleagues here with a background of trade union or business experience, and I think that some of them might usefully be added to what I consider to be a rather important subcommittee.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition for his comments. On his first point, as he rightly says, the appointment of these two members of the Offices Committee as members of the sub-committee is a matter for the main Committee. On his second point, of course, he will notice that the sub-committee has been given the power to co-opt. I assure him that it will take his suggestions very carefully into consideration on the occasion of its first meeting, when it will decide whether or not to co-opt further members.

On Question, Motion agreed to.