§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what account he took of the current relative level of contributions paid by men and women in the Medical Research Council's pension scheme and of the Government Actuary's calculations as to the554W cost of a widowers' pension within that scheme when issuing guidelines to the Medical Research Council indicating that widowers' pensions should be funded by increasing members' contributions in order that the cost be shared by employer and employees.
Mr. JacksonThe Government's policy on implementation of the Social Security Act 1986 is that the cost of 555W introducing additional benefits to existing public sector pension schemes must be shared by the employer and the employees. We are still discussing with the Medical Research Council and the Treasury the appropriate basis for applying this policy to the MRC scheme, taking account of all the relevant factors including the current level of contributions paid and the Government Actuary's calculations. A final decision has not yet been reached.