§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage increases have been awarded annually to pensioner beneficiaries under the(a) mineworkers' pension scheme and (b) British Coal staff superannuation scheme; and what has been their total value annually at constant prices. [16662]
§ Mr. WilsonSince 1994 MPS and BCSSS members have received around a 30 per cent. increase by way of valuation surplus bonuses. This is made up of
MPS: 20 per cent. from 1997 and approximately 9 per cent. from 2000BCSSS: 6.7 per cent. from 1996, 10.8 per cent. from 1998, and 11 per cent. this year.Payments of bonus increases to pensioners have been provided by the trustees and are as follows (excludes the 11 per cent. BCSSS increase for which figures are not yet available).
£ million Year MPS1 BCSSS2 1997–97 23 29 1997–98 69 29 1998–99 76 66 1999–2000 82 78 2000–01 119 76 Total 369 278 1 Year to end September 2 Year to end March In addition to these bonuses, MPS and BCSSS members have also received annual inflation-linked increases to maintain the real level of their pension.
397W
Percentage Year MPS BCSSS 1995 3.5 2.6 1996 2.1 3.1 1997 2.9 2.7 1998 3.7 3.7 1999 1.3 3.0 2000 3.3 1.4 2001 1.9 3.2