First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister: Appointments: Pensions and Bounties

PREM 17

1844-1981

Under various statutory provisions and pursuant to various Parliamentary resolutions several special funds were established from which could be paid bounties or pensions to persons either expressly entitled or upon their application and on merit .

Entitlements and applications were generally considered and approved, or not, by the prime minister, advised by his appointments secretary, and payment was arranged, out of the Consolidated Fund, by the Treasury.

This series consists of registers of applications, together with notebooks relating to the origins of and procedures for the different funds.

Ledgers of payments of these bounties and pensions are in: PMG 27

Public Record(s)

English

Records not yet transferred

Appointments Secretary Prime Minister's Office

Topics

Pay and pensions

Some sub-series are accruing.

All the records in this small series have been selected for permanent preservation as representing an aspect of the formulation of policy and management of public resources by the core executive (Acquisition Policy 2.2.1.1).

It has been customary following the accession of a new Monarch for Parliament to pass a civil list act, providing for the financing of the Royal Family and Household during the new reign. These arrangements have customarily included provision for the payment of bounties and pensions.

On 18 February 1834 the House of Commons resolved that advice to the Crown on the nominations for the award of civil list pensions should include only persons having just claims on the royal beneficence, or who had rendered personal services to the Crown by the performance of duties to the public or by useful discoveries in science and attainments in literature and the arts. Lists of the pensions granted each year were required to be laid before Parliament.

The Civil List Act 1837 s 5 provided for the Treasury to pay £1200 per annum out of the Consolidated Fund, for pensions granted by the Monarch. The total has been increased under subsequent civil list acts.