§ 76. Mr. Wheatleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the additional charge of £360,000 which would be incurred if teachers' pensions were paid monthly instead of quarterly in Scotland would only occur in the financial year in which the change took effect and would be offset by a corresponding diminution in the charge for the succeeding year; if he will accordingly disregard as invalid the fact that the additional charge will take place during the financial year in which the change is made; and if he will have regard to the economic needs of retired teachers in Scotland rather than to the embarrassment of making such a change in Scotland without making a corresponding change in England, in deciding whether such a change should be made.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe additional charge of £360,000 in the year in which this change took effect would not be offset by a corresponding reduction in the charge for the following year. As regards the last part of the Question, I regret that in present financial circumstances I can see no prospect of making the change suggested.