§ Mr. GWYNNEasked the Secretary of State for India whether he can see his way to alter the rules of the Bengal Civil Fund to enable pensioners to benefit by the increased value of the rupee, seeing that pensioners of the Indian finance un-covenanted service receive this advantage?
§ Mr. MONTAGUPensions of the latter class are fixed in rupees, and benefit, of course, by a rise in exchange, whereas the former are fixed in sterling. I am afraid I can hold out no hope of altering the rules of the Fund, but I am considering, in consultation with the Government of India, whether any relief can be afforded to their pensioners, including those of the various Family Pension Funds, on the lines of the recent British Pensions (Increase) Act. It is improbable, however, that any such relief would extend to pensioners in receipt of incomes in excess of the limits prescribed in that Act.