§ Sir R. Rossasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware of the extreme hardship imposed on Admiralty civilian employees who would have qualified for a gratuity under existing regulations, but who were invalided out of the Service within two years of the coming into force of the Act defining the new and shorter qualifying period; and whether steps will be taken to remedy this injustice to old employees in contrast to the situation of men of shorter service.
§ Mr. W. EdwardsI am aware of the position of unestablished civilian employees who were invalided from Admiralty employment before 14th July, 1949, i.e., the date of the operation of the Superannuation Act, 1949, under which the minimum qualifying period for the award of gratuities to such persons was reduced from 15 to seven years. Although the fixing of a date for the grant of improved conditions of any kind may appear unfortunate to persons who just fail to qualify for them, the Admiralty is, in this instance, merely administering an Act of Parliament which contains no provision for the application retrospectively of the revised conditions relating to the award of gratuities, and which applies to all unestablished Government employees, not only to Admiralty employees.