§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will in future cease from describing funds for 177W the pensions of former Colonial officials as part of the aid and development programme.
§ Mr. PrenticeNo. I sympathise with my hon. Friend's view but the position is that the obligation to pay these pensions was accepted by the governments which employed them. It is therefore proper to treat assistance from Britain to allow them to discharge the obligation as economic assistance and therefore part of the aid programme as in the case of budgetary assistance.