HL Deb 28 January 1948 vol 153 cc682-3

2.55 p.m.

EARL WAVELL

My Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government, what progress has been made in negotiations with the Dominion Governments of India and Pakistan to secure the right to proportionate pensions for the unprotected classes of Government servants of European descent and domicile if they wish to resign before completing their service for full pen- sion, and whether His Majesty's Government accept in principle that such men ought to be able to get the proportionate pension they have earned.]

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)

My Lords, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have not yet raised this question with the new Dominion Governments. They will do so in due course, when other matters arising out of the transfer of power are under negotiation. The United Kingdom Government are of the opinion that proportionate pensions ought to be granted to officers of the classes mentioned if their conditions of service are materially changed to their disadvantage, or if the new Governments do not wish to retain their services until they have qualified for ordinary pension.

EARL WAVELL

My Lords, arising out of that question, is the noble Viscount aware of the position of a certain class of soldier clerk who was induced by certain promises to give up his military status and to accept civil status, and who was later refused permission to resume has military status, whereby he has lost the right to proportionate pension and compensation which has been granted to similar Englishmen who were serving with the Indian Army? Does the noble Viscount not agree that such men have been very hardly treated?

VISCOUNT ADDISON

We are fully aware of the circumstances to which the noble and gallant Earl has referred, and, as I said in my reply, they will be taken up with the other questions arising out of the transfer of power. We do not feel it is convenient or right, however, that they should be taken up quite in isolation.