§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Minister of Overseas Development why certain Palestine police service pensioners continued to receive payment of increased pension in respect of their service after 1 December 1972 when their United Kingdom supplement became payable; if she is aware that the arrangements made by the Crown Agents on her instructions to recover the overpayments made as a result of this administrative omission are onerous and in some cases vexatious to elderly Palestine pensioners; and if she will take steps to mitigate the hardship arising from this.
§ Mr. TomlinsonThe overpayments, which we regret but which have only recently come to light, were the result of a failure to adjust the Palestine pension when the United Kingdom supplement became payable. When public funds are over-issued in this way we are obliged to make every effort to secure recovery.
The overpayments date from various times from 1972 onwards. A total of 61 pensioners are affected and in 35 cases the amount to be recovered is less than £100: in only one case does it exceed £1,000. The pensioners have been invited to express their own wishes in regard to the method of repayment. Sympathetic consideration will be given to representations from individual pensioners.