§ Mr. HOGGEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether men in the Scottish police force have to serve eight years longer to earn their pension than members of the police force in England; whether men who have served their time in Scotland, over sixty years of age in most cases, are now doing compulsory service; and, if so, what recognition they are receiving?
Mr. M UNROIn reply to the first part of my hon. Friend's question, it is the case that normally under the Police (Scotland) Act, 1890, a constable in Scotland has to serve thirty-four years to earn his maximum pension, while in most of the English forces I understand that the maximum pension is earned by twenty-six years' service. The reason for this difference between the two countries are explained in the Report of the Select Committee on the Police Superannuation (Scotland) Bill, 1901 (House of Commons Paper 356 of 1901), and were mainly of a financial nature. With regard to the second and third parts of the question—by Section 2 of the Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915, the right of constables in Scotland, as in England, to retire on pension without a medical certificate, except with the consent of their chief constable, is suspended during the continuance of the War. The men who continue to serve in virtue of this enactment receive the full pay of their rank together with any war bonuses granted by the police authorities. I have no reason to doubt that these constables are readily giving their services in the existing national emergency.
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