§ 42. Mr. HURDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether sympathetic consideration is being given 2020 to the case of members of the West African Civil Service who, after enduring a pestilential climate, manage to reach a pensionable age and now find their pensions inadequate to cover the greatly increased cost of living and other charges; and whether he will follow the practice affecting other workers in healthy as well as unhealthy vocations, and secure for them a bonus or other augmentation of pension?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Lieutenant-Colonel Amery)West African pensions are calculated on a specially liberal basis, and there is therefore no special reason for treating pensioners from the West African Colonies more favourably than those from other Colonies. But the Secretary of State is well aware of the difficulties in which pensioners, in common with all other possessors of fixed incomes of moderate amounts, have been involved owing to the recent rise in prices. He has been in consultation with the Governments of the Colonies generally on all the various questions arising out of these circumstances.
§ Lieutenant - Colonel AMERYThere have been considerable increases of war bonuses.
§ Lieutenant-Colonel AMERYYes; considerable war bonuses have been given there.