§ 3.6 p.m.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed in administering the Civil Service pension scheme, and what is the total cost of doing so.
§ The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord Peart)My Lords, 686 people are directly engaged in the administration of the Civil Service pension scheme, including the awarding and payment of pensions and other superannuation benefits. The present cost, including an allowance for accommodation and other overhead expenses, is about £3.8 million a year. This is 1.2 per cent, of the total annual expenditure on Civil Service pensions.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that that is a relatively satisfactory figure compared with some of the swollen administrative figures for other Departments? Does that figure include those who look after Forces pensions and gratuities?
§ Lord PEARTIt is purely for the Civil Service, my Lords. I have checked this point carefully, because I had a feeling that the noble Lord would ask that supplementary question. I am grateful to him for his remarks.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, the noble Lord's perception is as sensitive as his ears into which I poured that supplementary. The noble Lord has stood up, understandably, for maintaining pensions, 730 the standard of pensions and the indexation of pensions; but is it right that we should now read that there exists strong pressure on, and possibly a decision by, the Government to take away the gratuities of our Service pensioners who signed on under an agreed contract of service? That seems to be totally unfair and I hope that the noble Lord, who is extremely fair, will make sure that those terms are honoured as part of the contract.
§ Lord PEARTThat is another question, my Lords.