Superannuation Act 1972

Miscellaneous and Supplemental

24 Compensation for loss of office, etc.

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, the Secretary of State may, with the consent of the Minister, by regulations provide for the payment by such person as may be prescribed by or determined under the regulations of pensions, allowances or gratuities by way of compensation to or in respect of the following persons, that is to say, persons—

(a) in relation to whom regulations may be made under section 7, section 9 or section 10 of this Act or section 1 of the [1948 c. 24.] Police Pensions Act 1948 or in relation to whom a Scheme may be made in accordance with section 26 of the [1947 c. 41.] Fire Services Act 1947 (Firemen's Pension Scheme); and

(b) who suffer loss of office or employment, or loss or diminution of emoluments, in such circumstances, or by reason of the happening of such an event, as may be prescribed by the regulations.

(2) Regulations under this section relating to persons in relation to whom regulations may be made under section 7 of this Act may be made without the consent of the Minister.

(3) Regulations under this section may—

(a) include provision as to the manner in which and the person to whom any claim for compensation is to be made, and for the determination of all questions arising under the regulations;

(b) make different provision as respects different classes of persons and different circumstances and make or authorise the Secretary of State to make exceptions and conditions; and

(c) be framed so as to have effect from a date earlier than the making of the regulations,

but so that regulations having effect from a date earlier than the date of their making shall not place any individual who is qualified to participate in the benefits for which the regulations provide in a worse position than he would have been in if the regulations had been so framed as to have effect only from the date of their making.

(4) Regulations under this section may include all or any of the provisions referred to in paragraphs 8, 9 and 13 of Schedule 3 to this Act.

(5) Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument, which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

25 Pension increases

(1) For subsections (1) to (4) of section 2 of the [1971 c. 56.] Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 (which provides for the future review of official pensions and payment of increases) there shall be substituted the following subsections:—

“(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Minister for the Civil Service, as soon as may be after 30th June in the year 1972, and every year thereafter, shall review the rates of official pensions against any rise there may have been in the cost of living during the review period, that is to say—

(a) the period of fifteen months ending with 30th June 1972 (" the first review period "); or

(b) the period of twelve months ending with 30th June in the year 1973 and every year thereafter ;

and if it is found that in the review period the cost of living has risen by two per cent. or more, then the Minister shall by order provide that the annual rate of an official pension may, if a qualifying condition is satisfied, be increased in accordance with the order in respect of any period beginning on or after 1st December next following the review period.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, the increases to be provided for by an order under this section shall be as follows:—

(a) for pensions beginning on or before the first day of the review period the increase shall be in the proportion (to the nearest one-tenth of one per cent.) in which the cost of living has risen during the review period; and

(b) for pensions beginning—

(i) in the half year following that day ; or

(ii) in the next succeeding half year ending, in the case of the first review period, with 1st April 1972 and, in the case of any other review period, with the day after the end of that period ; or

(iii) in the three months ending with 1st July 1972,

the increases shall be in the proportion (to the nearest one-tenth of one per cent.) in which the cost of living is found to have risen between the basis period for that half year or that period of three months, as the case may be, and the end of the review period, if the cost of living in the basis period is taken as the mean of the monthly figures.

(2A) For purposes of subsection (2)(b) above—

(a) the basis period for any half year is the six months ending with the first month of the half year or, if the cost of living is lower in the half year than in those six months, is the half year itself ;

(b) the basis period for the period of three months specified in sub-paragraph (iii) is the period of three months ending with 1st February 1972 or, if the cost of living is lower in the period so specified, is that period.

(3) Where the rise referred to in subsection (2)(b) above is less for any half year than two per cent., there shall only be an increase for pensions beginning in that half year if there is one for pensions beginning in a later half year, and the increase (if there is one) shall be two per cent.; but where this subsection prevents there being an increase for pensions beginning in any half year, then the order made in respect of the next review period shall for those pensions authorise, instead of an increase calculated in accordance with subsection (2)(a) above, such increase as would result if that prevented by this subsection had been made and were followed by one calculated in accordance with subsection (2)(a) by reference to the rate as so increased.

(4) Where on any review under this section it is not found that the cost of living has risen by two per cent. or more in the review period, the review in the next year shall be for the same review period extended by twelve months ; and if it is found that the cost of living has risen by two per cent. or more in the (extended) review period, the provisions of this section shall apply subject to the modification that for subsection (2)(b)(ii) and (iii) there shall be substituted the following:—

‘(ii) in any of the succeeding half years up to that ending with the day after the end of the review period’.”

(2) For subsection (3) of section 9 of the said Act of 1971 (which relates to gratuities and lump sums) there shall be substituted the following subsection:—

“(3) In respect of any lump sum or instalment of a lump sum which becomes payable after the day following the last day of a review period but before 1st December next following the review period there may be paid by virtue of section 2 above the same increase as if it became payable on that date.”

(3) After subsection (4) of the said section 9 there shall be inserted the following subsection:—

“(4A) Subsection (4) above shall have effect in relation to the first review period as if the period of three months ending with 1st July 1972 were a half year ending with that date.”

26 Financial provisions

(1) There shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament—

(a) any expenses incurred by a Minister of the Crown in the payment in accordance with schemes made under section 1 of this Act or regulations made under section 9, 10 or 24 thereof of pensions, allowances, gratuities or other sums;

(b) expenses incurred by a Secretary of State in making any such payments as are referred to in section 9(4) of this Act;

(c) any administrative expenses incurred by a government department in consequence of this Act; and

(d) any increase attributable to the provisions of this Act in the sums payable under any other enactment out of moneys so provided.

(2) Subject to any scheme made under section 1 of this Act or to regulations made under section 9 or 10 of this Act, there shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund all sums received by a Minister of the Crown by virtue of this Act.

27 Dissolution of Civil Service Committee for Northern Ireland

(1) The Civil Service Committee for Northern Ireland shall cease to exist and, accordingly, section 56 of the [1920 c. 67.] Government of Ireland Act 1920 (establishment of Committee) and paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 1 to the [1922 c. 2 (13 Geo. 5 (Sess. 2.)).] Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions Act) 1922 (Session 2) (amendment of constitution of Committee) shall cease to have effect.

(2) In the proviso to section 8(1) of the [1947 c. 37.] Northern Ireland Act 1947, and in the proviso to section 9(1) of that Act (determination by the said Committee of certain questions relating to the position of officers who became officers of the Government of Northern Ireland by virtue of the said section 8(1) or 9(1)), for the words "the Civil Service Committee for Northern Ireland " there shall be substituted the words " a referee appointed by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland ".

28 Certain enactments relating to superannuation of Forestry Commissioners and to declarations required from recipients of certain pensions to cease to have effect

(1) Paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 to the [1967 c. 10.] Forestry Act 1967 (which authorises the grant in certain circumstances of superannuation benefits to a person who retires from the office of Forestry Commissioner while under the age of 60 without renewal of public employment and who is not entitled to a pension by virtue of other provisions of that Schedule) shall cease to have effect.

(2) Section 6 of the [1957 c. 63.] Appropriation Act 1957 (which prohibits the receipt of any payment out of moneys provided by Parliament for half-pay or navy, army, air-force or civil non-effective services unless the prescribed declaration has been made by the recipient) shall cease to have effect.

29 Amendments, savings, transitional provisions and repeals

(1) The enactments mentioned in Schedule 6 to this Act shall have effect subject to the minor and consequential amendments specified therein.

(2) The savings and transitional provisions contained in Schedule 7 to this Act shall have effect.

(3) The inclusion in this Act of any express saving, transitional provision or amendment shall not be taken as prejudicing the operation of section 38 of the [1889 c. 63.] Interpretation Act 1889 (which relates to the effect of repeals).

(4) Subject to section 23 of this Act, and Schedule 7 thereto, the enactments mentioned in Schedule 8 to this Act (which include certain enactments already spent or otherwise unnecessary) are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column 3 of that Schedule.

30 Short title, construction of references, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Superannuation Act 1972.

(2) References in this Act to an enactment include an enactment in a local Act and a provisional order confirmed by Parliament, and any reference in this Act to any enactment or instrument shall be construed as a reference to that enactment or instrument as amended, and includes a reference thereto as extended or applied, by or under any other enactment or instrument, including any enactment contained in this Act.

(3) Section 21 of this Act and paragraphs 68 and 96 of Schedule 6 thereto shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.

(4) The other provisions of this Act shall come into force on such day as the Minister may by order made by statutory instrument appoint, and references in this Act to the commencement thereof shall be construed as references to the day appointed by an order under this subsection.

(5) This section, and the following provisions only of this Act, extend to Northern Ireland, that is to say,—

(a) sections 1 to 6 and Schedules 1 and 2;

(b) sections 13 and 17 ;

(c) section 21;

(d) section 22(1) and (2) and Schedule 4 so far as they relate to any body exercising functions in relation to Northern Ireland;

(e) section 23 and paragraph 2 of Schedule 5 ;

(f) section 26, so far as applicable, and sections 27 and 28(2);

(g) section 29 and Schedules 6 and 8, so far as they relate to any enactment which extends to Northern Ireland and paragraphs 1 to 3, 10, 11 and 13 to 15 of Schedule 7.