§ 5. Mr. Tilneyasked the Minister for Overseas Development whether he will consider back dating from 1st January, 1967, to 1st July, 1965, the supplementary allowance to six officers of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service employed in the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research and the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, whose brother officers have already received the allowance for the previous 18 months, and whose exclusion appears to have been due to an administrative oversight.
§ Mr. OramNo, Sir. Since these men are not Nigerian civil servants, we cannot pay them allowances from July, 1965, under the Nigerian Public Service Scheme. They are being paid from January, 1967, as their Institutes concluded agreements with us during that month.
§ Mr. TilneyWhy, then, do they contribute to the pension and widows' and orphans' fund and are regarded as members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service? Is not this the worst possible advertisement for volunteering for research work overseas?
§ Mr. OramWe can deal with these men only in agreement with the Nigerian authorities. We had to deal with these Institutes separately from the public service. These men are not civil servants in the public service. We must abide by the date when agreement on this separate scheme was reached?
§ Mr. TilneyOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.