§ TILE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL) rose to move that the Third Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.
§ The Committee's Report was as follows:
§ 1. LIBRARY
§ A Report from the Sub-Committee on the Library for the year 1972 was laid before the Committee and agreed.
§ The Committee authorised payment of an annual subscription fee for representative membership of the London Library.
1949§ 2. PARLIAMENT OFFICE
§ The Leader of the House laid before the Committee the Report on the Parliament Office made personally to him by the group of Peers consisting of the Viscount Hood, the Lord Mancroft and the Lord Champion which, on the proposal of the then Leader of the House, the Committee had agreed should be set up on 10th February 1972.
§ The Committee considered and agreed to the following recommendations:—
- (1) to entrust to the Civil Service Commission the sifting and selection of candidates for appointment by the Clerk of the Parliaments to Clerkships in the House of Lords;
- (2) to increase the authorised complement of Clerks in 1974 to 15 plus two seconded;
- (3) to set up a House of Lords Appeals Board consisting of the Viscount Hood, the Lord Mancroft and the Lord Champion, on lines similar to those which operate in the Civil Service, to consider cases of premature retirement under the provisions of the Civil Service Pension Scheme 1972;
- (4) to set up a Sub-Committee consisting of the Viscount Hood and the Lord Champion, and that the Lord Mancroft be co-opted to the Sub-Committee, to concern itself with all staff in the service of the House, with special reference to the well being and efficiency of the Parliament Office;
- (5) the creation for not less than two years of a temporary post of Head of Establishments at a salary equivalent to Senior Principal in the Civil Service.
§ The Committee took note of a personal undertaking by the Lord Chancellor, reaffirming the established practice of his predecessors, to carry out appropriate consultations before seeking the approval of the House for appointments to the Table; and a similar joint undertaking by the Lord Chancellor and the Leader of the House before making recommendations in relation to the appointment of the Clerk of the Parliaments.
§ The Committee also considered a recommendation that the retiring age in the Parliament Office should be reduced from 65 to accord with the Civil Service practice of retirement after 60, but agreed to take no action on this recommendation.
§ 3. REPORTING STAFF
§ The Committee took note of an oral report by the Clerk of the Parliaments relating to the industrial action by the House of Lords Reporters.
§ 4. SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATE 1973–74
§ The Committee were informed of the presentation of a token Supplementary Estimate for 1973–74 to provide for the expenses of supporting services to members of the European Parliament for the purpose of attending Meetings of the European Parliament and its Committees.
§ 5. ACCOUNTANT'S DEPARTMENT
§ The Clerk of the Parliaments informed the Committee that he had appointed Mr. E. W. 1950 Field, the Assistant Accountant, to be Receiver of Fees and Accountant on Mr. R. W. Hill's retirement, Mr. R. A. Devin as Assistant Accountant and Mr. C. G. Osborne to the Higher Executive post with effect from 1st April, 1973.
§ 6. REVISED SCALES OF PAY
§ The Committee confirmed the application of EC/82, dated 16th May, 1973—General Pay Increase—giving revised rates of pay from 1st April, 1973 to applicable staff of the House of Lords.
§ 7. DEPARTMENT OF THE GENTLEMAN USHER OF THE BLACK ROD
§ The Committee authorised the appointment of an additional Doorkeeper and two additional Housemaids on the staff of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and Serjeant-at-Arms.
§ The Committee also sanctioned additional provision for Doorkeepers' dress suits.
§ 8. EXPENSES OF SELECT COMMITTEES
§ The Committee approved a revised scale of subsistence allowances payable to Specialist Advisers, Research Assistants and Witnesses.
§ 9. MEAL ALLOWANCES
§ The Committee approved an increase in the rate of meal allowance payable to certain officials working late in the evening after normal day's duty.
§ 10. SUPERANNUATION AWARDS
§ The Committee gave authority to the Chairman of Committees and the Clerk of the Parliaments to apply the benefits of the 1972 Pension Scheme to eligible House of Lords staff immediately at the end of their service and to report accordingly to the Committee at their next Meeting.
§ The Committee sanctioned the payment of a preserved pension and lump sum to Mr. Frederick James Goodhill, Office Assistant, who resigned on 30th April, 1973.
§ 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.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.