Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost of proposals submitted by the Overseas Service Pension Association in December 2016 for assisting the government of Zimbabwe in meeting its obligations to Zimbabwe public service pensions.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government understands the hardship that lack of pension payments causes to former service-people and their families. The British Ambassador to Zimbabwe raises pensions frequently with the Zimbabwean Government and has secured written confirmation that it will resume payments when the economic situation improves. However, we have not made an estimate of the cost as these payments are the responsibility of the Government of Zimbabwe as set out in the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of making the necessary financial arrangements to enable the government of Zimbabwe to pay the pension arrears owing to those former members of HM Overseas Service who responded to the British Government's request that they remain in their posts after Southern Rhodesia became independent.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government understands the hardship that lack of pension payments causes to former service-people and their families. The British Ambassador to Zimbabwe raises pensions frequently with the Zimbabwean Government and has secured written confirmation that it will resume payments when the economic situation improves. However, we have not made an estimate of the cost as these payments are the responsibility of the Government of Zimbabwe as set out in the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Australia about the proposed changes at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research station at Cape Grim in Tasmania, and what has been the outcome of those discussions.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
There have been no discussions between the British and Australian Governments about the Cape Grim research station, or the future of climate monitoring programmes there, following the recent restructuring plans announced by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to use overseas superannuation funds to pay pensioners owed money by the government of Zimbabwe; and, if so, when they will do so.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The legal and moral responsibility to pay pensions to former Rhodesian and Zimbabwean public servants sits with the Government of Zimbabwe. The British Government continues to remind the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe of this legal commitment. Following our most recent approach the Government of Zimbabwe wrote to us on 27 May. They explained that pension repayments remain affected by current financial constraints in Zimbabwe and the state of the wider economy. Nonetheless, at our prompting they committed to continuing to seek a solution.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that the government of Zimbabwe’s obligation to pay the pensions owed to former Rhodesian or Zimbabwean public servants has not been fulfilled, what assessment they have made of their obligation to assist those former servants of the Crown; what assessment they have made of the case for making ex gratia payments to those former public servants without prejudice, either from development aid or other funds, in the light of the practice of protecting the pensions of officers employed on expatriate terms in other former dependent territories; and what, if any, assessment they have made of the cost of making such ex gratia payments.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Lords)
The UK’s pension protection arrangements in Zimbabwe are confined to those officers who were recruited by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to serve in Southern Rhodesia on expatriate terms. For those recruited on expatriate terms, the UK provides direct pension support. We continue to be clear that the UK does not have legal or moral responsibility for Southern Rhodesian civil service pensions. This responsibility lies solely with the Government of Zimbabwe.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in any discussions they are having with the government of Zimbabwe on the subject of pensions owed to former Rhodesian or Zimbabwean public servants.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Lords)
The British Government continues to remind the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe of their legal commitment to former employees of the Southern Rhodesia government. Following our most recent approach, the Government of Zimbabwe last wrote to us on 27 May. They explained that pension repayments remain affected by current financial constraints in Zimbabwe and the state of the wider economy. Nonetheless, at our prompting they committed to continuing to seek a solution.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the failure of Zimbabwe to pay pensions due to former Rhodesia or Zimbabwe public sector pensioners living outside Zimbabwe, whether they have any plans to make ex gratia payments to those affected; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The UK has no plans to make ex-gratia payments to former Rhodesia or Zimbabwe public sector pensioners living outside Zimbabwe. The legal obligation to pay these pensions rests solely with the Government of Zimbabwe. We will continue to press the Government of Zimbabwe to fulfil their obligation.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the title and wording of the memorial in Nairobi to those who suffered during the Emergency period of 1952 to 1963 will indicate that it is a memorial to all those who suffered, on all sides, during that period.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The UK is working with the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, the Mau Mau War Veterans Association, the Nairobi Governor’s Office, and the National Museums of Kenya to make sure the proposed memorial is as inclusive as possible and promotes reconciliation. The Overseas Service Pensioners’ Association (OSPA) has also been fully consulted.
The first plaque will state: ‘This memorial is a symbol of reconciliation between the British Government, the Mau Mau, and all those who suffered during the Emergency Period’.
The proposed title of the memorial is: ‘Memorial to the Victims of Torture and Ill-Treatment during the Colonial Era (1952-1963)’. This reflects the wording of the settlement agreement and the announcement made by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on 6 June 2013.