To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had in the past five years with the governments of Australia, Canada, the Falkland Islands, New Zealand and South Africa about reciprocal arrangements for the payment and uprating of pensions and other social security benefits; and what progress has been made. [HL2994]

In the past five years Ministers have had four meetings with Australian Ministers and officials at which the issue of not uprating UK state pensions to persons living in Australia was raised. There have been no similar representations from the Canadian, Falkland Islands or South African Governments on this issue in that period. At the request of the New Zealand Government, officials are currently negotiating minor amendments to the reciprocal social security agreement between the United Kingdom and New Zealand, but those amendments would not include provision for the payment of annual uprating of UK state pension to persons living in New Zealand.