§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will publish the report of the Government Actuary on his investigation of the National Health Service superannuation scheme for the period ended 31 March 1979.
§ Mr. John PattenI have today published the fifth actuarial valuation of the NHS superannuation scheme covering the period 1974–79, and copies have been placed in the Library. The valuation shows that the balance of £1,494 million to be met by employing authorities would be more than covered by the current level of contributors. It recommends that 5.5 per cent. of salary should be paid by employers, but this would not cover the full cost of payments by the fund as they do not allow for pension increases. These extra costs will fall on the Exchequer. However, the Government intend that contribution levels should be realistic.
The report shows that there has been an increasing number of people in the National Health Service contributing for superannuation and an increasing number of people getting a pension. The two main groups of employees which include nurses and hospital doctors have increased by nearly 40 per cent. The number of people in the central superannuation scheme is more than 620,000 people of whom two thirds are women.
The number of pensioners in the scheme on 31 March 1979 was approximately 156,000 an increase of more than 50 per cent. in the previous five years. The report says that further significant increases can be expected for many years because of the relative immaturity of the scheme and the increasing number of contributors.