HC Deb 19 May 1980 vol 985 cc70-1W
Mr. Palmer

asked the Minister of Transport which nationalised industries for which his Department is responsible increase the pensions of their employees by the following methods (a) under the statutory obligations of section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, (b) under their respective trust deeds as if under the 1975 Act, (c) by fully increasing pensions in other forms, and (d) by awarding discretionary increases.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I understand that most of the employees of the British Railways board, the British Transport Docks board, the National Bus Company, the National Freight Corporation, and their respective subsidiaries belong to pension schemes with rules which provide for post-award increases in pensions. The rules provide for these increases to be calculated on the same basis as the increases payable on official pensions under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 and section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975. It has also latterly been the practice of these industries to introduce annual schemes of supplementation under which increases, calculated on a like basis, are normally payable to those of their pensioners who receive pensions from other schemes.