§ Mr. Channonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what category or categories of retired British officers are ineligible to receive British Service disability pensions as a result of agreements to accept responsibility in such cases by newly independent British ex-colonies; if in all such cases parity of treatment is afforded by these countries to that which such officers would receive in the United Kingdom; and if not whether Her Majesty's Government is prepared to compensate these thereby penalised.
Mr. MorrisResponsibility for disability pensions in respect of British nationals who served overseas with locally recruited forces lies with the Governments of the former colonies in question. Where parity of treatment with 161W British war pensioners has not been granted by overseas Governments since independence, supplementation may be paid by my Department in certain circumstances, after consultation with the Ministry of Overseas Development.
My Department is always prepared to consider any individual cases that come to notice, and if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.