§ 24. Mr. Harry Wallaceasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of officers who have retired from the Colonial Service to the United Kingdom since September, 1939, and who have received no increase of pension on account of the rise in the cost of living.
Mr. Creech JonesAs my hon. Friend will be aware, most Colonial Governments follow Section I of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1944. I have invited them to adopt the amendments made by the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1947, and a number of Colonial Governments have now informed me that they have done so. I am at present in a position to provide figures only in respect of pensioners of Governments whose schemes are based on the Act of this country, but those figures cover the large majority of Colonial pensioners. One thousand eight hundred and seventy officers have retired from the Colonial Service to the United Kingdom 1125 since September, 1939, and of these 1,648 have not been awarded pensions increases because their pensions and other income are above the limits fixed by the 1944 Act. If all Colonial Governments concerned adopted the amendments made by the 1947 Act, 1,066 of these pensioners would be below the income limits governing the award of increase and would, therefore, have their cases reviewed.
§ Mr. WallaceCan the Minister say whether he proposes to review the position of those officers who have received no increase of pension, in view of the reduced buying power of money?
Mr. Creech JonesWe have made representations to all the Colonial Governments asking that the most recent Act shall apply.
§ Squadron-Leader FlemingCan the Minister say whether any special steps have been taken to find employment for ex-Colonial officers when they return to this country?
Mr. Creech JonesMost of them are pensioners who go into retirement, but we try, in some cases, to absorb men suitable for work for which we can get no other applicants.