asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies how many ex-employees of the Central African Federation have applied for hardship pensions; and how many have been granted.

Twenty-three applications for assistance have so far been received. Nine have been rejected and two accepted. The remainder are under consideration. Assistance takes the form of a single immediate payment.

Would I be in order in asking my hon. Friend vis-á-vis the Treasury whether he is satisfied that the Treasury has done all it ought to do in view of the fact that I do not think that it is the Commonwealth Relations Department which is the difficulty but the Treasury? Will my hon. Friend accept the fact that I do not really think that the Answer is very satisfactory because there are far too few people being accepted for hardship pensions arising out of those figures?

My hon. Friend may like to know that out of a total of 35,000 former Federal officers and employees only 400 established officers have not been offered employment under the Territorial Governments and the figure of only 23 applications for hardship so far received does not seem to me to be altogether unsatisfactory.

In view of the fact that the numbers are so small and that, as I believe, assurances were given to the civil servants when they were over here that sympathetic consideration would be given to their claims, could not the hon. Gentleman go just a little further and meet their wishes?

I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that every claim for hardship consideration has been looked at on its own individual merits. I am sure that this is the wish of the House.

Can my hon. Friend say if people who have been offered jobs have been offered jobs with comparable salaries and comparable conditions with those under which they were engaged at the time when Federation was broken up? Is not that the important point? I mean, he must think we are awful mugs if we accept that as a really satisfactory Answer—

Order. Unless I am misreading something through reading it hurriedly it seems to me that the hon. Lady's words are related more to her next Question. Perhaps I had better call her for her next Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what arrangements have been made for suitable employment for ex-civil servants of the Central African Federation returning to this country; and whether the liquidating agency has fulfilled the financial responsibilities placed upon it in respect of these men and women.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Chichester (Mr. Loveys) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of Technical Co-operation on 25th February. The Liquidating Agency has already made terminal benefit payments to over 4,000 ex-Federal employees amounting to approximately £2 million.

Yes, but is my hon. Friend aware that though that is a very satisfactory Answer from the Departmental point of view, what I want to know is whether, when these people have come over here, they have been told how to seek jobs? I have had people coming to see me who have not been given any idea, any guidance of any kind whatsoever. So far as the liquidating agency is concerned, there have been some quite abnormal delays. Therefore, even if my hon. Friend thinks he is satisfied, is he aware that I am not satisfied?

I think my hon. Friend is always very adept at making her own feelings known to both my right hon. Friend and myself, and to the House. On the question of delays, we are anxious to make certain that the absolute minimum of delay occurs. One case has been brought to my attention by my hon. Friend, and the reasons for the delay there were beyond the control of the Government.

Could my hon. Friend tell us if ex-Federal civil servants have been given the same facilities as those offered to ex-members of the Colonial Service in Territories which we have ceased to govern?

The facilities are available to all officers who were recruited in the United Kingdom.