§ Sir W. BULLasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Ceylon Government discriminates against posts held under another government and penalises a pensioner for taking a non-pensionable government teaching post by suspending, wholly or in part, a pension earned in Ceylon, whereas the pension would be paid in full if the pensioner held a precisely similar post at, for example, a university; and whether the Secretary of State suggested a modification of the Colonial pensions regulations to obviate unfairness, which was accepted by most Colonies other than Ceylon?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe Ceylon Government makes no discrimination of this nature. The regulation whereby a pensioner who accepts further public employment is not allowed to draw pension in excess of an amount which, when added to his new emoluments equals his former emoluments in Ceylon is based on Section654W 20 of the Imperial Superannuation Act, 1834, which applies to similar cases in this country, and regulations to the same effect are to be found in the pension rules of most Colonial Governments. A suggestion was put forward and adopted by several Colonial Governments that the rule should be relaxed so that pensions based on pre-War salary should not be reduced unless the total of pension and new emoluments was in excess of the former emoluments, plus 50 per cent. The Government of Ceylon deferred consideration of the proposal pending the Report of a Commission then sitting, and is being invited to arrive at a decision.