HC Deb 19 November 1919 vol 121 cc940-1W
Mr. RENWICK

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his atten- tion has been called to the hardships now endured by disabled teachers in elementary schools owing to the inadequacy of the Grants at present being made; and whether, seeing that these persons have contributed substantially to the teachers' superannuation and disablement fund and that they have been completely ignored in the two recent Education Acts, measures will be taken to remedy this grievance of those who have so well served the State?

Mr. FISHER

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the question asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Yeovil on 24th July. I am sending him a copy of the answer.

Mr. ATKEY

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the Government intend to bring in a Bill providing for the superannuation of lecturers and teachers in colleges and university colleges receiving Government; Grant or, alternatively, to amend the Teachers' Superannuation Bill of 1918 to include in its provisions such lecturers and teachers in colleges and university colleges; if any Report has been made to the Government with regard to the superannuation of lecturers and teachers in colleges and university colleges; and, if so, the nature of that Report, and if lecturers and teachers in colleges and university colleges receiving Government Grant who have been superannuated since January, 1918, have received benefits not less than those embodied in the Teachers' Superannuation Bill of 1919?

Mr. FISHER

If, as I presume, the hon. Member refers to teachers in universities and university colleges, the Government do not propose to introduce legislation for the purpose suggested in the first part of the question. No Report to the Government on the subject has been made since the Second and Third Reports of the Advisory Committee of the Board of Education on University Grants in 1913, as a result of which a federated superannuation system on a contributory basis of insurance was instituted for the universities and university colleges. As regards the last part of the question, I have no information, but I understand that in many of the universities and university colleges the increased Grants notified this year have enabled substantial increases to be made in the contributions made by them under the scheme.