§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the President of the Council if she will ask the authorities of the Members' Pension Scheme to increase the pensions of those former hon. Members who receive the lowest levels of pensions under the Members' Pension Scheme. [116095]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe Senior Salaries Review Body periodically reviews arrangements for Parliamentary pensions. Recent reviews have made recommendations for scheme improvements but have advised that these changes should be restricted to serving Members. This is because it is a long-standing policy of successive administrations not to make retrospective improvements to public service pension schemes, although the Members' Fund exists to 691W relieve individual cases of hardship among former Members and their dependants. Applications for assistance should be made to the Trustees.