HC Deb 26 March 1984 vol 57 c92W
Mr. Fisher

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the total sums paid in pensions to former employees of the royal ordnance factories in each of the last nine years.

Mr. Pattie

The pensions of former civil servants, including those employees of the royal ordnance factories, are paid by the Paymaster General's office whose records do not distinguish pensioners by Department. It is therefore not possible to provide this information.

Mr. Fisher

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the total pension contribution paid by royal ordnance factories' employees in each of the past nine years.

Mr. Pattie

It is not possible to give a figure of pension contributions paid by ROF employees. The principal Civil Service pension scheme is non-contributory and civil servants therefore make no explicit pension contribution except for a 1½ per cent. contribution paid by male employees who entered public service after 14 July 1949 for widows pension cover.

However, as the Scott report pointed out, civil servants have been making an "effective contribution" of around 8 per cent. of pay as a result of the pay comparability system which was in operation until 1980.