BRITISH EXCHEQUER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 85, 7 October 1938, Page 8

BRITISH EXCHEQUER

PENSIONS PAYMENTS

THE EX-PREMIERS

OTHER LARGE DRAWINGS

,By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London

Representative.)

LONDON, September 3

Pensions paid to former Prime Ministers under the Act passed a year ago are listed in the Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom for 1937-38.

The Treasury has just issued the accounts in book form. They show how the Exchequer is managed, where the mor^y comes from, and where and when payments are made.

Under the Cabinet Ministers' Pension Act of July 1, 1937, former Prime Ministers are entitled to pensions of £2000 a year. The 1937-38 accounts show that up to March 31, Lord Baldw4n and Mr. Lloyd George each received £1000. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald received £717 7s lOd up to the time of his death on November 9. ' £5000 TO EARL NELSON. Other pensions paid were £4000 to Viscount Ullswater, former Speaker of the House of Commons, and £5000 to Viscount Sankey, a former Lord Chancellor. Earl Nelson receives £5000 a year. The annuity has been paid since the early nineteenth century under an Act, conferring it "on whom the title of Earl Nelson shall descend." Customs returns show that tobacco and snuff gave the Exchequer the largest revenue with gross receipts of £115,030,539. Duties on oil produced £50,622,077, and imported wines £5,000,455, while duties on table waters brought in only £23,217. Excise receipts show that beer is still the most popular drink in Great Britain. Revenue from this source was £62,742,848 gross. Spirit receipts were £41,053,279. Motor vehicles duties amounted to £36,277,609, while "estate and death duties were £90,500,101. 1 The Post Office paid the Exchequer £47,000,000 on postal receipts, £7,800,000 on telegraph, and £31,750,000 on telephone receipts. Postmasters sold stamps valued at £39,760,301. GIFTS TO EXCHEQUER. The National Debt increased by £227,601,523, due to the creation of £100,000,000 National Defence Bonds and an expansion in the amount of Treasury Bills outstanding. The ,total is now5 £8,144,128,417. Under miscellaneous revenue seats sold at the Coronation realised £2709 for the Treasury. Gifts to the Exchequer amounted to £10, while £150 in the Scottish Savings Committee account was unclaimed. Funded war debts due to Britain from the Allies at the end of the financial year were £1,115,737,500. EX-CHANCELLQR'S PENSIONS. Apart from Prime Ministers, the only Ministers who can look for an allowance on retiring are those who have held legal office. Their pensions are for judicial and not for political service. , Lord Sankey, as an ex-Lord-Chancel-lor, is drawing a pension of £5000 a year. ~ Seven or eight years ago three exLord Chancellors were on the pension list simultaneously. They were the late Lord Buckmaster, the late Lord Birkenhead, and the present Lord Hailsham, who later on returned to the Woolsack and recently left it again, but is still a Minister. . . SCOTTISH LAWYERS. ' Several former Ministers who held administrative as well, as legal posts are on the present pensions list, but they get their pensions because they have been judges. ; Two of them are Scottish lawyers who were Secretary for Scotland. Viscount Dunedin, who will be 90 years of age next year, has £3750 as a

former Lord of Appeal,

Lord Alness has a, pension of £3600 as former Lord Justice Clerk, the post in the Scottish judiciary which compares most closely with that of the

Master of the Rolls,

Lord Merrivale has a pension of £3500 for judicial services. He was Chief Secretary for Ireland, and a

member of the Cabinet 20 years ago.