§ Sir John Farrasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in consultation with the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare in the preparation of a comprehensive social security convention with Canada; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyMy hon. Friend will be aware of the general position on this matter which is contained in the reply of my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Dr. Boy son) at column445. The draft provided by the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare is the subject of discussion between officials of this Department and their Canadian counterparts. The main cost of any convention would be paying pension increases to United Kingdom pensioners in Canada, and the high cost of this —up to about £35 million a year—makes it unlikely that a convention could be implemented in the near future.