§ Lieut.-Colonel JAMESasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies which of the Dominions have agreed to pay a bonus on the pensions of retired Civil Servants which served in them to enable such Civil Servants to meet the increased cost of living, and which have declined to do so; and whether the Colonial Office will be prepared to invite those Colonies which have not yet agreed to pay a bonus on pensions to reconsider the matter?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYI have no information with regard to the action taken by the self-governing Dominions in this matter. With regard to the action taken by the Governments of the Colonies and Protectorates I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Bennett) on the 7th of July. The Secretary of State invited the Governments of all the Colonies and Protectorates to consider the question, and only four Colonies have definitely decided against making any increase of pensions. In the case of these four Colonies whose finances are not directly controlled by the Secretary of State, it is not considered that a further request would be likely to, lead to any useful result.