HC Deb 12 March 1981 vol 1000 c383W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister for the Civil Service to what extent civil servants pay a weekly or monthly sum towards their indexed pensions; how many are in this grouping; what are the amounts so paid as a percentage of salary; and how many are reckoned to have their salaries notionally reduced to account for such pension contributions.

Mr. Hayhoe

In settling the wage and salary levels of all 695,000 civil servants account has been taken of differences between their pension arrangements and those of employees in comparable work and in addition male civil servants, of whom there are about 418,000, pay direct contributions of ½ per cent. of salary towards the cost of widows' pensions. In its report on the valuation of public sector pensions—Cmnd. 8147, paragraph 76—the Scott committee reported that civil servants effectively pay an amount equal to 7.9 per cent. of their gross pay for pension benefits.