HL Deb 03 May 1984 vol 451 cc625-6
Baroness Wootton of Abinger

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements are being made to continue payment of the pensions now currently paid to retired employees of the Greater London Council, in the event of the Bill for the abolition of the council becoming law.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, in the White Paper, (Cmnd. 9063) of 1983, the Government proposed that a small statutory body should be established to deal with certain residual responsibilities of the Greater London Council, including the handling of residual superannuation matters. The comments which have been made on that proposal are being considered. I can assure the noble Baroness that the rights of existing pensioners will be fully safeguarded.

Baroness Wootton of Abinger

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord for the news that this matter is under early consideration, along with so many other complex issues arising from the impending death of these various councils. Is it proposed to make a general arrangement which will be common to all the councils which are about to disappear, so far as the pensioners are concerned? Secondly, is it proposed to take into account the position of persons who may still be in employment with the council at the time it is abolished and who already may have accumulated rights to considerable superannuation when they retire?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I find myself in some difficulty over the first supplementary question of the noble Baroness because the Question on the Order Paper refers to the GLC, whereas I understand that in her supplementary she is referring also to the metropolitan counties, for which, as the House will know, the Government also have proposals. I shall, therefore, answer her second supplementary question. Existing employees transferred to successor bodies, whether or not they are borough councils, will take their pension rights with them. However, existing pensioners and those not re-employed in local government service will stay in a unified fund.

Baroness Jeger

My Lords, can the noble Lord the Minister say what this unified fund will be? Is it the intention of Her Majesty's Government to break up the existing GLC superannuation fund? Surely that would not be financially satisfactory. Further, is it the intention of the Government to abolish the GLC Retirement Association, which has 30,000 members who depend very much upon that association for help and practical advice? What is to happen to these ex-GLC employees in the situation which the Government are precipitating?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, there is no intention to break up the existing fund. It will be transferred lock, stock and barrel to the residual body to which I referred in my original Answer. With regard to the second supplementary question of the noble Baroness, the details are still to be announced, but I shall make sure that the point raised by the noble Baroness is taken fully into account.

Baroness Wootton of Abinger

My Lords, I apologise for extending, if by implication, the scope of my Question. It was obvious to me that as soon as we started on one council it would become a common matter which would necessarily be dealt with in relation to all the councils which would come under a central scheme. I hope that that extension will be taken into account.

Lord Skelmersdale

Yes, my Lords, most certainly it will.

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