§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD HAILEYMy Lords, I beg to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are now in a position to state whether it is their intention to make statutory provision for the grant of compensation to pensioned officers of the former Indian Services for any additional taxation in which they may be involved on account of the, imposition of Indian income tax on their pensions.]
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (VISCOUNT SWINTON)My Lords, the question whether such statutory provision should be made depends on the outcome of the discussions to which I refer in my reply to the next Question by the noble Lord. In the meantime, provision has been made in the Estimates and in the Appropriation Act to cover expenditure in 1954–55.
§ LORD HAILEYMy Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have arrived at any decision on the claim put forward by the Service Associations concerned that Her Majesty's Government should now arrange to assume responsibility for the disbursement of the sterling pensions, in place of the arrangement by which they are now disbursed by the agents of the Government of India.]
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, as I think the noble Lord is aware, discussions with the Governments of India and Pakistan concerning the responsibility in future for Indian and Pakistan sterling 1486 pensions have been proceeding, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement on the subject.