§ Lord HARRIS of HIGH CROSSasked Her Majesty's Government:
What numbers and categories of employees in central and local government and in public agencies are: (a) currently drawing indexed pensions, and (b) entitled to indexed pensions on retirement.
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Lord Soames)The following table sets out the approximate numbers of (a) pensions in payment to former employees and their dependants and 1475WA (b) serving members of the main public service superannuation schemes.
CURRENTLY DRAWING PENSIONS ENTITLED TO PENSIONS Scheme Retired Dependants Total Pensions Serving Members '000 '000 '000 '000 Armed Forces 241 54 295 313 Civil and Diplomatic Services 290 95 385 700 NHS 175 30 205 728 Local Government 261 67 328 1,098 Teachers 180 7 187 662 Police and Fire 91 41 132 165 Overseas 45 15 60 — Total 1,283 309 1,592 3,666 I regret that corresponding details for the nationalised industry pension schemes 1476WA are not available centrally. In 1979, however, 5.6 million employees in all belonged to public service and public sector pension schemes together (of which the nationalised industries were a part), and 2.4 million were drawing pensions. Of the latter 1.9 million were retired employees and 0.5 million dependants. Most of these pensioners would have been receiving fully inflation-proofed pensions.
House adjourned at eleven minutes before eight o'clock.