§ 11. Captain HUDSONasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the maximum ordinary pension of a European officer after 30 years' service in the Indian police was fixed at £500 in 1862, and that pension is now £525, an increase of five per cent.; and whether, as the cost of living in England is now 100 per cent. greater than in 1862, and was, on 1st January, 1923, 78 per cent. above that of July, 1914, any steps will be taken to remedy this hardship?
§ Earl WINTERTONUnder the Rules of 1863, to which my hon. and gallant Friend presumably refers, the maximum ordinary pension was fixed at Rs.5,000, this rupee pension, if drawn in England, being converted into sterling at the rate of exchange annually fixed for the adjustment of transactions between the British and Indian Exchequers. The maximum is now Rs.6,000, exchanged at a fixed minimum rate of 1s. 9d., which is at the moment higher than the market rate. 9 The Royal Commission which is to investigate the terms of employment of the superior civil services in India will no doubt consider the adequacy of their pensions.