96. Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Supply what action the Government proposes to take with respect to the pensions and gratuities of long-serving employees at the Royal ordnance factories who feel unable to accept employment at other premises owing to long distance travelling from their homes.
§ Mr. W. J. TaylorPensions and lump sum payments on the retirement of established industrial civil servants, to whom I assume this Question relates, are awarded under the provisions of the Superannuation Acts. Those long-serving employees at Royal ordnance factories who are established have accepted the obligation to transfer as a condition of their establishment. If their work at any particular factory comes to an end, the Government will honour its obligation to provide alternative employment for them elsewhere in the Government service. Employment locally will be the first aim, but failing this, they will be required to transfer.
To ease the difficulties of transfer, if their new place of employment is not within daily travelling distance of their homes, they may be paid a subsistence allowance of 23s. a night for the first week and 16s. a night for the next three weeks whilst seeking new accommodation. Thereafter, if they are married, they become entitled, subject to certain provisions, to a lodging allowance of 50s. a week and nine free travel warrants a year. There are also allowances towards the cost of removal, and any excess rent they may have to pay at their new station, 151W together with a grant of from £20 to £40 to cover incidental expenses.
If an offer of employment at a new station is refused by an established industrial employee, he will have to be discharged unless he elects to resign. Either course would involve, in accordance with the provisions of the Superannuation Acts, forfeiture of all superannuation rights except as stated below.
Any established employees who are over 60 years of age can retire with an immediate pension if they have qualified for one. Any who are under 60 but over 50 years of age and who do not want to transfer will be free to retire and to receive at 60 any pension or allowance for which their service has made them eligible.
Finally, if in any case the domestic circumstances are accepted to be such as to make transfer unreasonable, an award may exceptionally be authorised by the Treasury. The distance of the new place of employment from the home would, however, not of itself be accepted as justifying such an award.
In the case of unestablished industrial employees, gratuities are paid on a scale proposals for the improvement of which are now before the House.