HC Deb 09 November 1976 vol 919 cc119-20W
Mr. Hicks

asked the Minister for the Civil Service if he will state all categories of public servants, civil and military, who are covered by the indexation provision of the Pensions Act 1971 and what is the number of people in receipt of pensions in each category.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

As I told the hon. Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) on 12th April 1976—[Vol. 909, c.373–4]—the detailed list of those United Kingdom public servants covered directly by the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 is to be found in Schedules 2 and 3 to that Act. The major categories are the Civil Service, the National Health Service, local government, teachers and the police and fire services. In addition the Armed Forces follow the Act by analogy. The numbers of pensioners in the various categories are as follows:

Scheme No. of Pensioners
Civil Service 293,000
Local government 287,500
Armed Forces 248,000
Teachers 149,500
National Health Service 135,000
Police 66,000
Fire 16,000

Not all of these pensioners will be benefiting directly at present from the provisions of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 as some, especially in the Armed Forces, will be below the qualifying age for actual payment of pensions increase.