asked the Minister of Overseas Development approximately how many overseas pensions for the payment of which the Government have accepted responsibility (a) have been fully taken over by the Government and (b) remain to be taken over.

The numbers are 24,000 and 28,000 respectively.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development when she expects the taking over of all overseas pensions for the payment of which the Government have accepted responsibility to be completed.

It depends on overseas Governments as well as ourselves, but we hope that the process will be complete by the end of next year.