§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications to contract out of the State graduated pension scheme have so far been received by the Occupational Pensions Board from employers; how many contracting-out certificates have so far been issued; and how many employees are in the schemes for which certificates have been issued.
§ Mr. OrmeI am advised by the Occupational Pensions Board that by 13th January 1978, 5,137 contracting-out applications had been received and 1,368 certificates, relating to 1,388,054 employees, issued. The last of these figures would not necessarily equate with 87W the total number of employees in the schemes concerned, since employers need not include all categories of employments in their applications.