54
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
No. S. 33.-The following Bills were read a first time at a meeting of the Council held on the 3rd February, 1937 :-
No. 48-23.12.36.-1.]
A BILL
Short title.
Amendment of Ordin-
ance No. 21 of 1932,
-
s. 16.
INTITULED
An Ordinance to amend the Pensions Ordinance, 1932.
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Pensions Amend- ment Ordinance, 1937.
2. Section 16 of the Pensions Ordinance, 1932, is amended by the deletion of the words "and during the five years preceding his death has continuously held pensionable office in this Colony or offices in other public service which were, when he held them, pensionable under the law or regulations in force relating to such service,'
Objects and Reasons.
1. Section 16 of the principal Ordinance enabled the Governor in Council to grant a death gratuity free of estate duty to the representative of an officer holding a pensionable office and not serving on probation or agreement, who has died while in the service of this colony; but only if during the five years preceding his death he had continuously held pensionable office in this Colony or offices in other public service which were, when he held them, pensionable under the law or regulations in force relating to such service.
2. In his despatch No. 82 of the 12th March, 1936, the Secretary of State considered it desirable for Hong Kong to conform to what is now the usual practice of the Colonial Service to make death gratuities payable in the case of all confirmed officers.
3. Clause 2 of this Bill accordingly deletes from section 16 of the principal Ordinance the requirement as to five years continuous pensionable public service.
C. G. ALABASTER,
Attorney General.
December, 1936.