CO129-541-8 W. Russell-Brown- eligibility of Wei-hai-wei service to count towards pension 25-10-1932 - 21-3-1933 — Page 28

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7631/246

4.

In view of the correspondence exchanged in 1924

between the Colonial Office and the Foreign Office (see

Colonial Office letter 7631/1924 of 5th March, 1924, and

Foreign Office reply of 22nd March), and of the directions

of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury in

Treasury letter of 16th February, 1924, that the proportionate

payment of pension in respect of Wei-hai-wei service should,

after the retrocession of the territory, be made from the

Vote for Colonial Services, it is not understood why Mr.

Russell Brown's position in regard to pension rights was

not regularised at the date of his secondment to Wei-hai-wei,

nor why, if there were any circumstances which might render

him ineligible for the pension rights foreshadowed in the

Treasury letter, the position was not made clear at the time,

both to the Foreign Office and to this officer.

5. As, in the event, the amount of superannuation award

payable to this officer from Imperial funds is less by

£149.10.0d. than it would have been had his period of service

at Wei-hai-wei been spent in the ordinary course in a Consular

post, Sir John Simon feels that Mr. Russell Brown is being

unfairly penalised and he trusts therefore that Sir P.

Cunliffe Lister will now be able to arrange for the payment

to him of the sum of £149.10.0. from the Vote for Colonial

Services.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,