§ Mr. TOWNENDasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether a workman employed under the Crown who has qualified by length of service for a gratuity under the Superannuation Act, 1887, would receive such gratuity if he voluntarily retired from the Service on reaching the age of 60; and whether, in the case of a workman who has qualified by length of service for a gratuity dying before reaching the retirement age, such gratuity is paid to his next-of-kin?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEIt is the practice to regard the provisions of Section 4 of the Superannuation Act, 1887 (which enables gratuities to be awarded to unestablished workmen retiring for infirmity of mind or body), as satisfied if the workman retires with the consent of his Department at age 60 after not less than 15 years' whole-time service. As regards the second part of the question, Section 3 of the Superannuation Act, 1914, provides that if any person dies while in his employment, being a person to whom a gratuity might have been granted under Section 4 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, if at the time of his death he had retired from such employment because of infirmity of mind or body, the Treasury may, if they think fit, grant to his dependants such compassionate gratuity as they might have granted to the deceased person had he so retired.