§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is given by Her Majesty's Government to serving members of the public service of Zimbabwe with entitlement to registration as British citizens who wish to retire on pension plus gratuity and to settle in the United Kingdom but who are prevented by Zimbabwean legislation from taking capital out of the country.
§ Mr. RifkindThe Zimbabwean constitution protects the pension rights of public officers; it also contains provisions which guarantee the remittability of all pensions, although the remittability of commutations may be subject to restrictions. In addition to certain special allowances, capital may be taken out of the country over a number of years under the Zimbabwean Government's 4 per cent. external bond scheme. Zimbabwe's exchange controls are a matter of internal economic policy in which we have no formal standing. We have repeatedly impressed upon the Zimbabwean authorities the hardship which their controls can cause, and urged that as their foreign exchange position improves greater flexibility be exercised, particularly for those in most need.