HC Deb 26 October 1998 vol 318 cc7-8
5. Mr. Geraint Davies (Croydon, Central)

What plans he has to change fire and police service pension arrangements. [53512]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. George Howarth)

We published consultation documents on the police and fire service pension schemes in March 1998 and will take careful account of the responses that we receive. We shall consult fully on any specific changes that we propose to the pension arrangements for new entrants or to medical retirement procedures.

Mr. Davies

What consideration has my hon. Friend given to those cases of premature retirement due to sickness or ill health where the person subsequently—sometimes immediately—takes up an alternative form of employment?

Mr. Howarth

That is obviously a matter for concern. In each case, one would have to inquire into the nature of the subsequent employment—for example, whether it required a different level of physical activity from the job of being a serving police or fire officer. Obviously, concerns such as those to which my hon. Friend just alluded form part of the considerations that have taken place, and such concerns will be taken into account when we consider the results of the consultation.

Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold)

The Minister will be aware that, over the past year, Gloucestershire constabulary has suffered an actual cut in its budget of £1.5 million. That has resulted in the loss of front-line policemen. In no small measure is that due to the increased pension contributions that the Gloucestershire constabulary has had to make, directly as a result of the Government's changes in advance corporation tax relief. What will the Government do to fund those pension contributions fully so that rural areas, in particular, do not suffer a cut in their front-line police and fire services?

Mr. Howarth

First, the settlement that the Gloucestershire police authority received was precisely the one that it would have received, had the Conservative party still been in government.

Regarding the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question, the problem with these schemes is that they are not funded. If they were funded, we would not be in this position. I add that, except for setting up endless reviews into these problems, the previous Government did absolutely nothing about them—indeed, did not even publish the results of their reviews. We have had the courage to publish those reviews, and to consult on them. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman exercises his uncharacteristic patience a little longer, until we find out what is in the reviews and precisely what we propose to do about the matter.