§ Mr. L. SMITHasked the President of the Board of Education in view of the objections of teachers to paying the 5 per cent. compulsory contribution to superannuation, how much annually is contributed by the teachers; and what is the liability of the State in respect of such pensions now and also before the War, when there was no contributory scheme?
§ Sir K. WOODThe contribution for superannuation paid by teachers in the year 1930–31 amounted to £2,624,134. The liability of the State is, in effect, to provide the whole cost of pensions and associated benefits attributable to service prior to the beginning of the contributory system and to pay a proportion of the 5 per cent. contribution of the local authorities. It is actuarially estimated that the State thus bears about 80 per cent. of the cost in the case of teachers serving when the present system was introduced and nearly 30 per cent. in the case of sub- 203W sequent entrants. Under the system in force before 1918 the main liability of the State was to provide a superannuation allowance of £1 a year for each year of the service of a certificated elementary teacher, with a small supplement in the older cases for service prior to 1899, but this was only payable from the age of 65. It is estimated that in respect of the then existing body of teachers the change of system, combined with the subsequent increase of salaries, multiplied the liability of the State five-fold.