§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to compensate present and former part-time employees of the NHS who were excluded from the NHS Pension Scheme; and on what date part-time employees were accepted into the scheme. [157955]
§ Mr. DenhamThere are no proposals to make compensation payments. Part-time National Health Service employees who become entitled to backdated membership of the NHS pension scheme will be expected to pay their share of the arrears of scheme contributions.
Between 1 April 1973 and 31 March 1991, part-time employees, working at least half the standard number of whole-time hours for their grade, were entitled to scheme membership. From 1 April 1991, all part-time employees have been able to join the scheme, irrespective of the number of hours worked.