§ Mr. GorrieTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of UK citizens resident in the United Kingdom who worked in administration, education or other public services in the former colonies who currently rely on pensions from that service for their income. [66630]
§ Clare ShortAs at 15 January 1999, the Department for International Development (DFID) were paying 10,976 service pensions and 7,159 dependants' pensions to UK residents in respect of public service in the former colonies. Those involved are covered by HMG's pension protection arrangements. We do not hold information on the individual pensioner's citizenship, although most are likely to be British nationals. Nor can pension recipients be split by occupation as this information is not held centrally.
In addition to those pensioners paid by DFID, there are many former colonial public servants who do not qualify under these arrangements and who are paid their pensions directly by the present day governments of the former colonial territories. We have no way of knowing the numbers paid in this way.