§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will state in table form the cost of bringing 70W up to the level enjoyed by United Kingdom civil servants under the Pensions Increase Act, 1959, pensions paid by the Governments of former dependent territories and the Governments of the South African High Commission Territories, both to erstwhile expatriate civil servants and to their widows and orphans.
§ Mr. AlportAs I explained in reply to my hon. Friend on 2nd December, pensions increases granted by Governments of independent Commonwealth countries are a matter for those Governments. As regards the High Commission Territories, reasons similar to those given to my hon. Friend by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies on 13th November, in respect of the Colonial Territories for which he is responsible, would make it difficult to justify instructing the High Commissioner to undertake the assembling of the huge volume of detailed information required. I would be glad, however, to discuss the matter with my hon. Friend to see if I can help him in any other way.