HC Deb 18 January 1968 vol 756 cc1926-7
5 and 6. Mr. Tilney

asked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) whether, since there has been no revision of the inducement allowance payable to entitled British expatriate officers in the service of the Singapore Government under the Overseas Service Aid Scheme since its introduction in 1961, he will in future pay the inducement allowance direct to each entitled officer instead of through the local Government;

(2) whether he will approve the revision of the inducement allowance to members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service in Singapore which was recommended as a result of a review undertaken in 1964.

Mr. Oram

No specific increase in inducement allowance, which could be put into effect by direct payment, was determined for Singapore in 1964, since the Singapore Government was unwilling to agree to any revision of Overseas Aid Scheme terms. In view of this, I have had discussions, which are not yet complete, with the Singapore Government about the future of the scheme. The most recent delays have been due to a local review of basic salaries, the results of which are not yet available.

Mr. Tilney

Since the standards of living of our permanent overseas civil servants seconded to Singapore are below the standards tenable elsewhere in the Commonwealth, and discussions have been going on for many years now, is it the intention of the Minister to rat on our moral obligations to those civil servants as the Government have ratted on the obligations to the Government of Singapore?

Mr. Oram

There is no questiton of ratting. I think I can claim that my Ministry has a good record in the interests of pensioners.