§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Minister for the Civil Service how many members of the Home Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service, respectively, have retired prematurely in each of the last five years on grounds of limited efficiency and on structural grounds, unrelated to personal efficiency, respectively.
§ Mr. David HowellHitherto there have been no powers to retire prematurely members of the Home Civil Service for reasons of limited efficiency or on structural grounds. The hon. Member will be aware of new arrangements in this respect which I announced to the House on 12th May, 1971. In the Diplomatic Service there are some 173W cases of premature retirement in which no precise distinction is made between limited efficiency and structural grounds as a basis for retirement. But the total figures for retirements in the public interest under Section 45 of the Superannuation Act, 1965, which might be considered to fall within one or both of the categories mentioned above were:
1966 … … … … 2 1967 … … … … 6 1968 … … … … 8 1969 … … … … 15 1970 … … … … 15