asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that employees of local authority electricity supply undertakings which were taken over by the Electricity Supply Board are suffering hardship because their pensions have not been increased despite the heavy increase in the cost of living; and whether he will consider making some Bonus Order permitting the Electricity Supply Board to supplement these pensions which are based on average earnings of many years ago.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electricity Supply Board Employees' Pensions.
The pensions of employees of local authority electricity undertakings who were transferred to the Electricity Supply Board when those undertakings were acquired by the board, fall into two categories:— (1) those which were based on a "flat" or fixed salary, and (2) those which consist of two elements, namely, (a) a fixed basic sum supplemented by (b) a bonus based on the cost-of-living index figure. In the first-mentioned case the pensions are not variable and in the latter case the amount of the bonus payable has been stabilised by the Emergency Powers (No. 244) Order, 1942, at the index figure applicable before the 1st January, 1943.
The pensions in both these categories are in accordance with the provisions of existing Statutes or Orders and I am not prepared to make any modification by way of a Bonus Order or otherwise.