§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will publish, for the longest and most convenient stated dates since 1945, the salaries of hon. Members; when they changed and 129W to what extent; whether he will give similar details on pension contributions and benefits at the same dates; how these compare with a civil servant who was in 1945 or at the date stated on a salary scale near to or the same as an hon. Member; and how these have changed during the same course of time, so far as
Year of increase of MP's salary MP's salary Salary at the mid-point of Civil Service principal grade scale 1946 … … £1,000 £1,056 1954 … … £1,250(Including Sessional Allowance) £1,450 1957 … … £1,750 £1,705 1964 … … £3,250 £2,500 1972 … … £4,500 £4,093 1975 … … £5,750 £6,565 1976 … … £6,062 £6,877 1977 … … £6,270 £7,085 1978 … … £6,897 £7,760 1979 … … £9,450 £8,846 Civil servants were pensionable under successive Superannuation Acts until the introduction of the principal Civil Service pension scheme in 1972. Male civil servants have paid contributions to widows' benefits since 1949, and under the pay research system deductions are made from salary levels in respect of other pension benefits. These contributions and deductions are at present equivalent to an average contribution of about 7 per cent. of salary.
When the parliamentary pension scheme was first introduced in 1965, contributions were paid at a flat rate of£150 a year. The present parliamentary contributory pension scheme was introduced in 1972 and amended in 1976 and 1978. Contributions were intially 5 per cent. of salary and were increased to 6 per cent. in 1978. Pension benefits for hon. Members are broadly in line with those available in other public service pension schemes.