§ Mr. Frederic Harrisasked the Minister of Education what are the total amount of contributions paid by and for men teachers in the whole country for the period 1942 to 1949, the amount of pension benefits paid to men teachers for the same period, the total amount of contributions paid by and for women teachers in the whole country for the period 1942 to 1949, and the amount of pension bene- 20W fits paid to women teachers for the same period, respectively.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI can only give estimated approximate figures based, so far as concerns the war years, on certain arbitrary assumptions. The following figures must, therefore, be treated as rough approximations expressed in round figures. The total amount of net contributions paid in respect of men teachers in England and Wales for the period 1942–49 amounted to about £24.5m: the corresponding figure for women teachers is about £30m. The total amount of benefits drawn by men teachers during the same period amounted to about £30.5m. and by women teachers to about £48m.
In considering the above figures the hon. Member will, no doubt, bear in mind that (a) the contributions paid for the period in question relate mainly to future liabilities, whereas the benefits paid relate to past contributions: (b) the benefits are not derived wholly from contributions, since the part attributable to service prior to 1st June, 1922 (i.e., non-contributory service) is met from Exchequer moneys: and (c) whereas the contributions are contributions under the Teachers Superannuation Acts, benefits include payments under the Pension Increase Acts, and it would entail an unjustifiable expenditure of time and labour to attempt to separate the two.