§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many United Kingdom nationals are employed by the European Economic Community Commission in Brussels; and if he will initiate inquiries into the number of such persons in the administrative and manual grades who retire before normal retirement age on grounds of invalidity;
(2) if he will raise at the Council of Ministers the circumstances under which persons leaving the European Economic Community's employment can be classified as invalids for pension purposes; how many administrative and manual grade leavers have been so classified over each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThere are around 1,000 United Kingdom nationals employed in the EC Commission in Brussels. We have long pressed the Commission to put forward proposals to rectify the situation concerning invalidity pensions and will continue to do so.