§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations the present value of the investments pro- 117W ducing revenue to meet the pensions of widows and orphans of civil servants employed by the erstwhile Gold Coast Government; whether these investments are held by trustees, and by whom; what the revenue is from the investments; and how much, with pension increases, was expended in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. AlportThe management of these investments and the payment of the pensions are matters within the field of responsibility of the Government of Ghana. So far as I am aware, the information for which my hon. Friend asks has not been published.
§ Mr. Tilneyasked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will state, in table form, how the pension increases of civil servants employed by the erstwhile Government of the Gold Coast under the Gold Coast Ordinance No. 9, 1954, compare with the pension increases given by the Government of the United Kingdom under the United Kingdom Pensions Increase Act, 1956.
§ Mr. AlportI regret that it is not possible to produce a comparative table of the kind desired. The United Kingdom Act has varying results according to the date of retirement of the pensioner; the Gold Coast Ordinance has not, provided only that the pensioner retired before the date specified therein. It is, however, possible to give the following summary of the main provisions of the legislation to which the Question refers.
The United Kingdom Act, in general, provides that pensions to which the Act applies may be increased by 10 per cent. subject to a total increase not exceeding £100. With certain exceptions, which affect dependants and persons suffering from ill health, pensions increases under the Act are not admissible until the pensioner attains the age of 60 years. The Act also amends previous pensions increase legislation by removing certain limitations on the grant of increases contained in such legislation.
The Gold Coast Act provides increases for officers to whom the Act applies 118W (qualifications including retirement prior to the 1st April, 1952*):
1. Where the pensioner is married or has at least one dependent as follows:
The authorised increase of the aggregate of any pension and any increase thereof payable immediately prior to 1st April, 1952, shall not be less than £26 a year. In no case shall the authorised increase result in a pension exceeding £900 a year.
Pension Increase (a) Up to £60 a year 80 per cent, of amount of pension (b) Exceeding £60 to £70 a year. £48 a year (c) Exceeding £70 to £80 a year. £52 a year (d) Exceeding £80 to £90 a year. £56 a year (e) Exceeding £90 to £100 a year. £60 a year (f) Exceeding £100 to £110 a year. £64 a year (g) Exceeding £110 to £120 a year. £68 a year (h) Exceeding £120 to £130 a year. £72 a year (i) Exceeding £130 to £140 a year. £76 a year (j) Exceeding £140 to £820 a year. £80 a year (k) Exceeding £820 to £900 a year. Amount necessary to increase pension to £900 a year 2. Where the pensioner has no dependents as follows:
Pension Increase (a) Up to £50 a year 80 per cent, of amount of pension (b) Exceeding £50 to £60 a year. £40 a year (c) Exceeding £60 to £70 a year. £45 a year (d) Exceeding £70 to £550 a year. £50 a year (e) Exceeding £550 to £600 a year. Amount necessary to increase pension to £600 a year The authorised increase of the aggregate of any pension and any increase thereof payable immediately prior to 1st April, 1952, shall not be less than £20 a year. In no case shall the authorised increase result in the increased pension exceeding £600 a year.
* This being the effective date of a revision of salaries and therefore of the salary basis for the computation of pensions.