U'lited States Federal Civil Service was still the comparator national civil service used in the application of the Noblernaire principle, he said the CoJliTiission had informed the Assembly at its thirty-sixth session that, Lased on a comparison of non-expatriate benefits, it considered there was no evidence to suggest that any civil service other than the U1ited States Federal Civil Service should be taken as the comparator. The Commission did recognize that the Noble rna ire principle inplied periodic review of the choice of national civil service to serve as the comparator) a review could take place once a method of comparing total compensation, to include expatriate benefits, had been developed. 31. The representative of Austria had asked about the special index for pensioners) on the recommendation of IC:SC the General Assembly had approved, in resolution 37/126, a method of adjusting cost-of-living differential factors to take acx:oont of zero or low rates of taxation in comparison with those applicable at the base of the system. Applying that method was the responsibility of the Pension FUnd, whose representative might wish to inform members about the procedure followed. 32. In connection with a question from the representative of Argentina about the regressive nature of the rental subsidy scheme at headquarters duty stations, he explained that an in-depth study by ACPAQ had shown the rents paid by newcomers were considerably higher than average levels at a given duty station, which was no longer the case with staff members who had been there for five years or more. The Commission had therefore decided to provide relief for newcomers and had felt that the best way of effecting the change to the status of a staff member who had been at the same station for more than five years was to use a regressive formula. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing administrative and financial aspects of a civil service system, specifically the application of the Noble principle and the treatment of pensioners, rental subsidies, and cost-of-living differentials. The language used is formal and technical, suggesting a focus on organizational management and policy rather than a specific sector or industry.

**Category**
Employment, Humanitarian aid and relief