HC Deb 11 April 1968 vol 762 cc1559-60
8. Mr. Tilney

asked the Minister of Overseas Development how many pensioners of Her Majesty's Overseas Service or their widows live in countries which have not devalued their currency in line with sterling.

Mr. Oram

Comprehensive information is not available. The pensioners concerned receive their pensions from the oversea countries in whose public service they were employed and not all the relevant pension records are available here.

Mr. Tilney

Will the Minister bear in mind that many of these pensioners, when recruited by the Secretary of State to serve the Crown, came from countries in the Commonwealth and not only from Britain, and that nothing was said on recruitment about where they should live on retirement?

Mr. Oram

I recognise that. My right hon. Friend has agreed to see the association representative of these pensioners and I have no doubt that that kind of consideration will be taken up in their talks.

Mr. Braine

The House has always been very sensitive to the position of pensioners serving overseas and their dependants. In view of what the Minister said earlier about the position in Ceylon, and in view of his answer, will he undertake to have a statement made, soon after we return from the Recess, about how the Government view the whole position of pensioners serving overseas and their dependants?

Mr. Oram

I have indicated that a meeting is projected with the association, and any statement might well be considered following that meeting.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

Will the Minister bear in mind that when these people went overseas they were serving this country as well as the country overseas and that we have to accept full responsibility for them?

Mr. Oram

Accepting full responsibility is a very much wider issue than that raised by the Question on the Order Paper.