§ Mr. Marksasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations she has received on the level of contributions paid by teachers to their superannuation fund; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasRepresentations have been made by the teachers' associations, orally in the working party on teachers' superannuation and by letter to right hon. and hon. Members, that the teachers' contribution should be reduced from 6.75 per cent. to 6 per cent. on the grounds that, consequent upon the Government Actuary's valuation of the teachers' superannuation scheme (England and Wales) for 1966–71, the supplementary contribution is to be reduced by 1 per cent. and the new entrant contribution by 0.3 per cent.
The supplementary contribution is payable only by the employers. Both teachers and employers would have expected the latter to bear any increase and they 110W should therefore receive the full benefit of any reduction.
Although the new entrant contribution is shared between teachers and employers the agreement of June 1972 embodied in the working party's report was that the teachers share should be 6.75 per cent. and the employers should bear the balance, at present 7.45 per cent. Strictly, therefore, any reduction should fall first to the employers. The local authorities have offered to share the 0.3 per cent. reduction equally with the teachers, so reducing their contribution from 6.75 per cent. to 6.6 per cent. On 5th November the teachers rejected this offer.