Channonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. B. M. Fuller, formerly of Southend, has been dismissed the Civil Service in Kenya after 15 years' service without a pension or gratuity, although 3343W his health and that of his wife has been impaired owing to illness contracted during his employment, and that his personal belongings are still in Kenya; and will he go into the matter or give some assurance that Mr. Fuller's claims will be investigated and his belongings returned to him?
Mr. M. MacDonaldIt is not the case that Mr. Fuller has been dismissed from a post in which he was eligible for a pension or gratuity. Mr. Fuller, who was then residing in Kenya, was engaged on probation as a forester in 1928. Since that date Mr. Fuller's engagement has been renewed from time to time on a temporary non-pensionable basis partly to afford him an opportunity of showing his suitability for more permanent employment, but I regret to say that the Governor has now reported that Mr. Fuller's services did not justify him in offering Mr. Fuller further employment.
Mr. and Mrs. Fuller contracted sleeping sickness in 1929, but after treatment in this country they were reported to have made a complete recovery. In March last Mr. Fuller was again examined by one of the Consulting Physicians to the Colonial Office from whose report it was clear that Mr. Fuller was still physically fit for employment.
As regards the last part of the question the Governor has reported that Mr. Fuller had ample time in which to arrange for the disposal of his effects before leaving Kenya, and that he accordingly saw no justification for arranging for them to be sent home at Government expense.
I have given the most careful consideration to Mr. Fuller's case in all its aspects, but I regret that I can see no ground on which I should be justified in overriding the Governor's conclusions.