§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on outstanding pension commitments to former Rhodesian civil servants agreed at the time Zimbabwe became independent. [129136]
§ Mr. FoulkesAt Independence, the pension rights of both retired and serving public servants were preserved under the Zimbabwe Constitution, determined during the Lancaster House negotiations. The Government of Zimbabwe are responsible for the payment of pensions to316W former Rhodesian civil servants. That constitution guarantees the continued payment of pensions to former Zimbabwe public servants, wherever they reside. Occasionally, there have been delays in pension payments being made as a result of shortages in foreign exchange, but, these apart, the Government of Zimbabwe have consistently honoured their obligations. There is no provision in the Constitution to protect the value of externally paid pensions against the effects of fluctuating exchange rates.