§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the figures of the total paid out of the pension fund of the Federation 377W of Central Africa public service each year since the dissolution of the federation, specifying that part devoted to the actual payment of pensions and that part devoted to administration expenses.
§ Mr. RaisonThe figures are as follows:
Pensions and other benefits Z$ '000 Administrative expenses Z$ '000 1964 2,691 5 1965 1,552 11 1966 1,172 14 1967 1,507 13 1968 1,361 23 1969 1,216 23 1970 2,448 51 1971 2,420 75 1972 2,380 52 1973 2,541 47 1974 2,886 55 1975 3,115 69 1976 3,260 96 1977 2,420 105 1978 2,375 121 1979 2,578 126 1980 2,726 127 1981 3,491 165 1982 3,251 234 1983 3,087 217 1984 2,709 244 Notes:
(1) All amounts are Zimbabwe dollars (or Rhodesian pounds wher applicable).
(2) Figures are for the year ending 31 July, expect for 1964 which covers the seven months ending 31 July.
(3) Figures for 1985 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made with the consolidation of widows and orphans pension funds relating to the Overseas Civil Service and the application of the proceeds from the sale of assets held by the separate funds.
§ Mr. RaisonLast year the assets of the four Indian family pension funds were realised and the proceeds paid over to the Exchequer in return for the guaranteed payment of all existing and future pensions. Similar arrangements are in preparation for the colonial widows and orphans pension funds for which the British Government have assumed responsibility under the pensions takeover programme. These arrangements will result in significant savings in administrative costs whilst preserving the pensioners' entitlements.
§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the territories in the Commonwealth whose pension obligations towards their former expatriate staff have been taken over by the United Kingdom and those for which similar arrangements have not yet been made; and if he will make a statement on progress made in this respect.
§ Mr. RaisonThe Commonwealth countries whose pension obligations towards certain former expatriate staff have been taken over by the United Kingdom are:
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Antigua Gambia Barbados Ghana Belize Grenada Botswana Guyana Cyprus Jamaica Dominica Kenya Fiji Kiribati
Lesotho Sierra Leone Malawi Singapore Malaysia Solomon Islands Malta Sri Lanka Mauritius Swaziland Nigeria Tanzania St. Kitts Uganda St. Lucia Vanuatu St. Vincent Zambia Seychelles Certain pension obligations of the former East African community have also been taken over.
The Commonwealth countries with who similar arrangements have not yet been made are:
- (1) Bangladesh: There are roughly 150 eligible pensioners who will be formally taken over when arrangements for the transfer of certain residual Pakistan pensions are complete.
- (2) India: Responsibility for the main body of Indian pensions was transferred in 1955; a small residual group of about 200 pensioners remains.
- (3) Trinidad: There are approximately 100 eligible pensioners.
We expect to complete arrangements to take over these pensions during the course of this year. Financial settlements consequent upon this takeover programme remain to be concluded with 23 of the countries listed above. We expect this process to be completed within the next two years.
§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the actuarial valuation of the central African pension fund at the most recent date available: and if he will make a statement as to the Government's policy towards the fund.
§ Mr. RaisonThe interim actuarial valuation of the central African pension fund as at 31 July 1983 showed the following:
Zimbabwe dollars million Assets 30.6 Liabilities 27.5 Estimated surplus 3.1 These figures were based on certain assumptions, including exchange rates. A full valuation is in the course of preparation.
The British Government, in common with the three other guarantor Governments — Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe—are concerned to ensure that the fund has sufficient resources to enable it to meet its commitments. In particular, the British Government have undertaken to meet 25 per cent. of any deficit revealed by periodic actuarial valuations of the fund. We have contributed some £4 million since 1964 under this arrangement.