§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the concessions made to Indian Civil servants, as regards remittances to the United Kingdom, has also been made to Colonial officials paid 658 in silver who have suffered severely by its depreciation; and whether Colonial officials coming home on leave will be treated in the same way as Indian Civil servants, and not suffer in Home pay or pensions?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. S. BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe Secretary of State for the Colonies has offered to put the Ceylon Civil servants in the same position as those of India— that is, that they should receive an exchange compensation allowance sufficient to enable them to remit half their salaries at 1s. 6d. the rupee, and should draw their pay while at home on leave at the same rate, no change being made as regards their pensions, which will he paid at the rate of 1s. 10½d. to the rupee. A similar offer has been made to the Civil servants of Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements, the rate in their case being fixed at 3s. the dollar. The result of this offer is not yet known officially, but it. is understood from unofficial sources that in a considerable number of cases the officers concerned appear to prefer to remain in their present position—that is, to receive their leave pay at Is. lO½d. the rupee (or 4s. the dollar), and to remit only at the market rate of exchange.