Brigadier-General PALMERasked the Home Secretary whether he is prepared to give consideration to the case of pensions of retired Metropolitan Police constables which have not been revised since 1894, and which, owing to the present conditions of living, are inadequate for their proper maintenance?
§ Mr. SHORTTI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday on this subject to the hon. Member for Dartford.
§ Sir PARK GOFFasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the hardship caused by the Police Acts of 1890 and 1893, whereby a retired member of the police force in receipt of a pension on account of his service is precluded from receiving out of public moneys an amount not exceeding one and half times his salary, including his pension on retirement, by taking up additional work; and, as this is particularly hard on the lower paid ranks, whether he can hold out any hopes of this being remedied?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe provision to which reference is made was repealed by the Police (Pensions) Act of last Session.
§ Lieutenant-Colonel ARCHER-SHEEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that pensions paid to ex-constables of the Metropolitan Police vary from £l to £l 15s. 4d., the amended rate; and whether he will take steps to introduce an amending Bill to the Police Pensions Act, 1918, to ensure that all pensioners shall receive similar rates for similar service, in view of the greatly enhanced cost of living?
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§ Mr. SHORTTI regret that it is impossible to distinguish police pensions in this respect from Civil Service and other pensions, and that I cannot undertake to introduce legislation on the lines suggested.
§ Lieutenant-Colonel ARCHER-SHEEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that police constables who were kept in the service by the Police (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1915, are having their pensions calculated on the rate of pay they were receiving at the time they completed their full time; and that, although they have never left the service, on retirement they are only to receive pre-war pensions?
§ Mr. SHORTTA police constable is entitled under, the Police Acts to have his pension calculated on the rate of pay he was receiving at the date of his actual retirement from the force, except that, when he was recently promoted his average pay for three years has to be taken. A few instances have been brought to my notice of misconception on this point, and I have communicated with the police authority, but I have no reason to doubt that police authorities generally are now fully cognisant of the law.