HC Deb 13 November 1958 vol 595 cc60-2W
63. Dame Irene Ward

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out the pensions in 1952, the 1956 increases, and the amount of loss in purchasing power since 1952 in spite of the increases, respectively, accruing to teachers, civil servants, nurses, railwaymen, miners, post office workers, police, and local government employees, respectively, in similar form to the table sent to him by the hon. Member for Tynemouth.

Mr. Simon

1. The following is the information in relation to those public servants mentioned in the Question to whom the Pensions (Increase) Acts apply; that is, teachers, civil servants (including Post Office workers), nurses under the National Health Service Superannuation Scheme, police and local government employees:

(1) (2) (3) (4)
Pensions awarded on 1.1.52 Pensions Increase Gain or loss (-) in purchasing power of total pension at 1952 prices
£ per annum £ per annum £ s. d. per cent.
50 11 + 6 6 + 0.7
100 16 -5 6 0 -5.3
200 26 -13 11 0 -6.8
300 36 -22 16 0 -7.6
400 46 -32 1 0 -8.0
500 56 -41 6 0 -8.3
600 66 -50 11 0 -8.4
700 56 -76 6 0 -10.9
800 6 -135 1 0 -16.9

NOTES

  1. (a) The figures in column 2 include elements attributable to the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1952, as well as to the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1956.
  2. (b) Pensions exceeding £800 a year in 1952 attract pensions increase of £6.
  3. (c) Pensions awarded before the 1st January, 1952, will also have been increased under earlier Pensions (Increase) Acts.
  4. (d) 1952 pensions awarded after the 31st March, 1952, received, under the 1956 Act, somewhat smaller increases than those shown in the table.
  5. (e) 1952 pensions up to £800 have been assumed in the table to have been derived from salaries of less than £1,500 a year.
2. Pensions under the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme ranged from £26 a year to £78 a year in 1952. The minimum pension was raised from £26 a year to £52 a year in 1957. This change has altered the purchasing power of these pensions by amounts ranging from a gain of £17 (65 per cent.) to a loss of £14 (18 per cent.). 3. The British Transport Commission's Male Wages Grades Pension Scheme was not introduced until 1st October, 1954, and has not subsequently been changed. 4. The figures given above take no account of changes in National Insurance retirement pensions. 5. The changes in the purchasing power of the pensions are calculated on the basis of the Consumer Price Index which is the index used to calculate the purchasing power of the £.