§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will, in consultation with teacher's representatives, remove the discrimination against women teachers regarding the payment of widowers' pensions on contributions made prior to April.
§ Mrs. RumboldDiscussions are continuing with representatives of teachers and their employers about the arrangements for covering pre-April 1988 service when automatic survivors benefits for female teachers are introduced into the teachers superannuation scheme. Although male and female teachers have paid the same contribution rate since 1972, that rate, determined by the Government Actuary in his actuarial valuations of the scheme, took into account only the existing benefits of the794W scheme. The contributions already paid by teachers do not reflect the cost of covering pre-April 1988 service for survivors benefits for female teachers.