1.-(1) This Order shall come into operation on the 14th August 1968, and may be cited as the British Transport (Male Wages Grades Pensions) (Amendment) Order 1968.

(2) The Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply for the interpretation of this Order as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of Parliament.

2. The Rules of the British Transport Commission (Male Wages Grades) Pension Scheme as set out in the Schedule to the British Transport Commission (Male Wages Grades Pensions) Regulations 1954(1) as amended(2) (and as those Rules and that Scheme now have effect subject to the provisions of any Orders made by the Minister of Transport under Section 74 of the Transport Act 1962) shall have effect from the 1st January 1968 inclusive as though there were inserted after Rule 17 thereof the following Rule:-

"Flat-rate supplement to certain pensions

17A.-(a) This Rule applies to every person who-

(i)before the 1st January 1967 first became entitled to receive any age or ill-health retirement pension under the provisions of Rule 14, 15, 16(b) or 17(b) and

(ii)is so entitled on the date of the coming into operation of the British Transport (Male Wages Grades Pensions) (Amendment) Order 1968.

(b)Every person to whom this Rule applies shall be entitled to receive with effect from the 1st January 1968 a supplementary pension at a flat rate of 6s. 6d. a week to be paid as an addition to his existing pension and to be payable as long as his existing pension continues.

(c)For the purposes of Rule 31 the said supplementary pension shall be disregarded but, save as aforesaid, the provisions of these Rules about pensions payable under these Rules shall apply in relation to the said supplementary pension as they apply in relation to any pension payable under any of the Rules mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Rule.

(d)Payment to or for the benefit of a person to whom this Rule applies of the said supplementary pension for the period beginning on the 1st January 1968 and ending immediately before the commencement of the first of the four-weekly periods specified in Rule 20 which begins after the date of the coming into operation of the said Order of 1968 shall be made as soon as possible after that date.

(e)In making any calculation of the sum to be paid to or for the benefit of any person in respect of the said supplementary pension for a fraction of a week such pension shall be treated as accruing due at the rate of 1s. 1d. a day except a Sunday which for the purpose of this paragraph shall be disregarded.

(f)In this Rule "existing pension", in relation to a person to whom this Rule applies, means the pension, or aggregate of the pensions, to which he is entitled under any one or more of Rules 14, 15, 16(b) and 17(b) on the date of the coming into operation of the said Order of 1968."

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order amends the Rules of the British Transport Commission (Male Wages Grades) Pension Scheme to provide for a supplementary pension of 6s. 6d. a week to be paid to those persons who first became entitled to a pension from the Scheme before 1st January 1967 and who remained so entitled on the date on which the Order came into operation. The supplementary pension is payable retrospectively to 1st January 1968.