FORMER SPEAKER’S PENSION

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29058, 21 November 1959, Page 10

FORMER SPEAKER’S PENSION

Commons Agree To Payment (NJZ. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 18. After a lively debate the House of Commons tonight agreed in principle to a bill granting its former Speaker, Lord Dunrossil, now Go.vernor-General-designate of Australia, a« £4OOO a year pension. It rejected an amendment to throw out the bill by Labour back-benchers by 300 votes to 155 —a Government majority of 145. The bill was then read a second time—agreed -to in principle—without a further vote. During the debate, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Hugh Gaitskell) said he would not vote against the bill. But he said he doubted whether it was desirable for Lord Dunrossil to draw a pension as former Speaker while holding his new post.

The Home Secretary and Leader of the House (Mr R. A. Butler) said that after listening to last week’s debate and having beard from many members, he felt some would have preferred that. the former Speaker should have abated the remainder of his pension or that the House should not pass the bill. • (Under the bill, half the pension will be suspended while Lord Dunrossil is Governor-General.) But the Government did not feel it could influence or affect Lord Dunrossil’s judgment in this matter, Mr Butler said. “I do not think, from what I know, that Lord Dunrossil would wish to forego the abated pension for which the bill provides, in view of the many and heavy commitments which lie before him,” he said. Mr Butler said Lord Dunrossil’s decision to retire as Speaker was not influenced by the prospect of his appointment as GovernorGeneral.