HL Deb 10 November 1920 vol 42 cc236-7
LORD SYDENHAM

My Lords, I rise to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India—

  1. 1. Whether the average pension paid to a retired Indian civil cervant was estimated by the Public Services Commission at £750, the balance of £250 being made up by deductions from his pay.
  2. 2. Whether, in estimating the figure of £250, allowance was made for the contribution of civil servants who died before taking their pension, and, if so, what proportion of the £250 represents the contributions of deceased members.
  3. 3. Whether since 1913, when the calculation was made, the amount of contributions as well as their sterling value has largely increased.
  4. 3. Whether the authors of the Report on Constitutional Reforms recommended that the pensions paid by the State should be £1,000 per annum, and that the amount subscribed by members should be funded for their benefit.
  5. 5. Whether the only action taken on this recommendation is to refund subscriptions made after 1st April, 237 1919, and to refuse any refund of subscriptions before that date to retired or serving members of the Service.
  6. 6. Whether the Royal Navy, the Army, the Indian Army, the Indian Medical Service, the Indian Uncovenanted Civil Service, and the Home and Colonial Civil Services have had their pensions recently increased from 25 to 60 pet cent. in consideration of the present cost of living.
  7. 7. And whether the case for consideration of the Indian Covenanted Civil Service is not equally strong.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE EARL OF LYTTON)

My Lords, the answer to my noble friend's first Question is Yes. The answer to the second is also Yes, and the portion representing contributions of deceased members is 11 per cent. The answer to Question 3 is as follows: —Between 1913 and 1919 the contributions increased by about 14 per cent. Since April 1, 1919, they have been placed to the credit of the officers in a provident fund. In October, 1917, the rupee rose from 1s. 4d. to 1s. 5d., and in April, 1918, to1s 6d., and the sterling equivalent of the contribution was increased accordingly.

I will answer Questions 4 and 5 together The Commission recommended that the pensions of officers of the Indian Civil Service should be fixed at £1,000 a year free of contributions, but subject to the proviso that the concession should not operate retrospectively in respect of deductions from salary already made. This recommendation has been accepted by the Secretary of State, with effect, as I have just mentioned, from April 1, 1919.

With regard to Question 6, I am aware that the Services referred to have had their pensions increased by varying amounts for persons retiring since the war; but, apart from the increases recently sanctioned for small pensioners under the British Pensions (Increase) Act, no increase has been sanctioned, so far as I am aw are, for officers retired before the war, except in the case of those re-employed on paid naval or military duty. As to Question 7, the date from which the annuity deductions shall be funded for the benefit of the officers was carefully considered before the Secretary of State's decision was given, and, as at present advised, he sees no reason to alter it.

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