§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many objections from employees have been received by the Occupational Pensions Board to company applications to contract out of the earnings-related pension scheme.
§ Mr. EnnalsI am advised by the Occupational Pensions Board that it has received 137 individual objections from278W employees and 74 objections from trade unions.
§ Mr. Paul Deanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many occupational and public service pension schemes and how many individuals are contracted out of the new State scheme.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Occupational Pensions Board has received about 21,000 elections from employers intending to contract out, of which about 7,500 have been received in the last three weeks. 8,654 contracting-out certificates have been issued so far but it is not at present possible, without unduly delaying the certificate-issuing procedures, to state the number of schemes covered by these certificates. It is known, however, that about 70 public service pension schemes will be contracted out. I will ask the Board to let me have more precise information as soon as it is available and will then write to the hon. Member. The certificates already issued cover rather more than 6.6 million employees.