HC Deb 22 February 1966 vol 725 c223
33. Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he decided to discontinue the ban he had placed on the payment of private pension payments to persons resident in Rhodesia.

Mr. Callaghan

In order to safeguard the interests of individual pensioners.

Mr. Walker

Would the right hon. Gentleman explain why, on 16th December, he firmly rejected the suggestion made by me that private pensioners should be included, that nothing further was said in the House, that a circular was sent out by the Bank of England in January and that no explanation has been given to the House for him completely changing his mind on this subject?

Mr. Callaghan

I understand—[HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."]—wait for it—from some private exchanges that there is involved in the question the suggestion that I misled the hon. Gentleman. I have read my Answer of 16th December and I think that it was open to two constructions. [Interruption.] If an attempt at courtesy is to be met in this way, then I really will have to say to hon. Gentlemen opposite that, in my view, my Answer could bear only the construction which I put on it and that the hon. Gentleman drew a different conclusion. There has been no change in policy and he was not misled.