TNAG-0697-FCO40-847-Pension-scheme-for-governors-1978 — Page 121

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service is defined as 'the salary he would have enjoyed if he had remained in the home civil service or the Diplomatic Service, having been granted any movements and all increases appropriate to his grade'. The FCO have asked for confirmation that this would enable account to be taken of promotion in absentia, sinco this represents the official judgement of the level the officer would have reached in the DS had he not gone to serve as a Governor.

This would seem to us to be in line with normal civil service practice but perhaps you would confirm this interpretation is correct.

Previously where an officer had home or ES service before Governor's service and was granted an aggregated award under the civil service pension scheme instead of a pension under the Governors' Scheme no secondment charge was levied for the period of Governor's service. I have seen no suggestion that such a charge would be made in the circumstances of rules 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the draft Scheme, and indeed there seons no reason to me why past practice should be changed but again the PCO have asked for affirmation on this point ami I should be grateful if you would confirm that this is t'e position.

ith regard to rule 3.21, it has been suggested that in the event of the like pension and lump sum under the SPO being granted as if at the completion of employment as a Governor the officer had retired from home service on medical grounds then this would allow for the usual enhancement of service that applios in cases of retirement on medical grounds. Regrettably we have been unable to trace the background papers to this but ry understanding is that this facility, which is currently replicable unaur ection 10(1) or the GPM 1957, merely enables a home service pension to be put into payment carlier than normal retirement age and I would not expect any enhancement to apply. There is a similar facility in regulation 5(2) of the Superannuation (Public Offices) Rules 1967, which I understand precludes enhancement under the Superannuation Acts, and no doubt you will be able to give a ruling on this matter without becoming involved in any undue research.

Can arrangements be made in the case of Governors with previous home service or diplomatic service, and who thus have a consequential eligibility to aggregated PUSPS retirement benefits under rule 3.14, for them to continue to pay contributions for widows' pensions under PUSPS during their Governorships. There is no provision for widows' pensions under the CPS and although this can be covered if a Governor is granted an aggregated award by his paying for the 'missing years' from his lump sum entitlement this is not possible if he dies in office or if he retires with two separate awards, one under the PCSPS and the other under the GPS. If it was possible for him to continue to pay periodic contributions this differentiation · would be effectively overcome. I should be grateful for your views.

i look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible so that we can bring this long-delayed revision to the Scheme to a conclusion.

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JW Willby