§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what correspondence she has received on the subject of the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme; and what replies she has sent.
§ Mrs. ThatcherRight hon. and hon. Members have forwarded a number of letters on this subject, mainly in favour of a change in the financing of the scheme.
The main points made in the replies have been that the total contribution rate has been actuarially determined on the assumption of a funded scheme with average performance, and has not therefore been affected by the notionally funded basis of the teachers' scheme; that the increase in the teachers' share of the total contribution in return for the greatly improved benefits now being introduced is broadly the same as that in most of the other public service schemes; and that I do not think that a case has been made out for change.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she has now had an opportunity to study the memorandum issued by the National Association of Schoolmasters and the Scottish Schoolmasters Association, concerning the teachers' pensions 1972 increases in contributions; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ThatcherI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the minority report which I have studied, submitted by the National Association of Schoolmasters and the Scottish Schoolmasters 77W Association, which forms appendix 5 of the first report of the working party on teachers' superannuation.
The working party have asked for a discussion about the financial basis of the teachers' pension schemes. Pending this, I have no statement to make.