Pension Funds (Hansard, 26 February 1988)

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans for the conversion of the pension funds of academic and technical officers in former British dependencies into pay-as-you-go schemes.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
Four Indian family pension funds were converted into "pay-as-you-go" schemes in 1985. Nine colonial widows' and orphans' pension funds — Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Malaysia (Sabah), Malaysia (Sarawak), Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Zambia — were converted in 1986. Three others — Guyana, Kenya (European Officers) and Kenya (Asian Officers)—will be converted once the apportionment of assets to be vested under the British Government's control has been agreed with overseas Governments concerned. The overseas superannuation scheme and the overseas service pensions scheme and fund are also scheduled for conversion in due course. None of these funds and schemes are exclusively confined to academic and technical officers.

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the last audit was done on the pension funds of academic and technical officers in former British dependencies; and when the next one will take place.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
Funds under the control of the Overseas Development Administration are audited annually. We do not have comprehensive information on funds administered by other Governments.

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to ensure that all those entitled to benefit from the pension funds of academic and technical officers in former British dependencies are in receipt of those entitlements.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
The primary responsibility for ensuring that any entitlements are put into payment rests with the beneficiary concerned. However, the Overseas Development Administration is also attempting to establish the present whereabouts of several thousand former contributors and contingent beneficiaries, the great majority of whom served on short-term contracts in the former British dependencies and who, for one reason or another, have lost contact with the schemes. In addition, upon receipt of notification of the death of an officer, the ODA checks whether any widow's or dependants entitlement exists under the funds and schemes under its control.

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the pension funds for British academic and technical officers in former overseas dependencies run by the Overseas Development Administration are indexed; how this has been applied; and from what date the indexation began.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
The pension funds and schemes administered by the Overseas Development Administration are not themselves index-linked, but all expatriate officers' individual pensions awarded under those schemes are elegible for an index-linked pension supplement under United Kingdom pension increase344W legislation. The date from which pensioners have the benefit of indexation varies with their individual circumstances.

§ Mr. Martyn Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commomwealth Affairs how many pension funds for British academic and technical officers in former overseas dependencies are run by the Overseas Development Administration; and if he will list them.

§ Mr. Chris Patten
Forty-eight widows' and orphans' pension schemes and funds are administered by the Overseas Development Administration. Details are as follows:
Colonial and other Widows' and Orphans' Pension SchemesAdministered by the Overseas Development Administration Aden Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1967.Barbados Public Officers' Widows' and Childrens' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985Barbados Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.Belize Public Officers' Widows' and Childrens' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1982.Belize Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1982^{1 4} Joint (Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland) Public Officers' Widows and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.Cyprus Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.East African Community (East African Scheme) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.East African Community (Railways and Harbours Corporation) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.Fiji Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1975.The Gambia Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1974.¹ Ghana Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.² Guyana Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Fund (UK) Scheme 1978.Jamaica Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.^{1 3 4} India Family Pensions (Transferred) (UK) Scheme 1985.² Kenya Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1977.² Kenya Asian Public Officers' Family Pension Fund (UK) Scheme 1977.Kenya Asiatic Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pension Fund (UK) Scheme 1977.Malawi Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1975.Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.¹ Malaysia (Sabah) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.¹ Malaysia (Sarawak) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.Malta Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.Mauritius Public Officers' Widows' and Childrens' Pension (UK) Scheme 1975.Mauritius Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.Nigeria Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.Seychelles Public Officers' Widows' and Childrens' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.¹ Seychelles Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.¹ Sierra Leone Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.Singapore Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1977.Sri Lanka Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1979.Sudan Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1973.345WTanzania (Tanganyika) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.Tanzania (Zanzibar) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.Tanzania (Zanzibar Asiatic Officers) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1976.Trinidad and Tobago Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1986.Uganda (European Officers) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.Uganda (Asian Officers) Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.Zambia Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.¹ Zambia Public Officers' Widows' and Orphans' Pensions (Defunded) (UK) Scheme 1986.Zambia Transferred Federal Officers' (Dependents) Pensions (UK) Scheme 1985.² Overseas Superannuation Scheme.² Overseas Service Pension Scheme.¹ Formerly funded schemes converted to "pay-as-you-go" schemes.² Funds scheduled for conversion.³ The Indian family pensions scheme comprises the following defunded schemes:Indian Civil Service Family Pension Fund (Transferred)Indian Military Service Family Pension Fund (Transferred)Indian Military Widows' and Orphans' Fund (Transferred)Superior Services (India) Family Pension Fund (Transferred)⁴ The total of 48 includes the Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland schemes and the Indian family pension funds counted separately.