HC Deb 06 June 1990 vol 173 cc638-9W
Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what number of people will be excluded by the change of qualifying date to 1 April 1986 from buying back reckonable service under the local government officers' superannuation scheme.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

This information is not available.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total cost of providing pensions for part-time local government officers who retired between 1974 and 1 April 1986.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

It is not possible to provide an estimate, since the number of retired officers concerned is not known.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reason the original qualifying date of 1974 for the superannuation scheme for local government officers was replaced by a new qualifying date of 1 April 1986.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

When pensions for part-time employees in local government were first established by the Local Government Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1987 it was not possible to backdate them beyond 1 April 1986 because of the destruction of pay records for earlier years and the need to avoid double payment of pensions where employees had been contributors to SERPS. For similar reasons, it will not be possible to apply the new draft regulations now being circulated for purchase of added years before that date.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to finalise the regulations to permit part-time local government officers to join the superannuation scheme.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

Part-time local government officers were first admitted to the local government superannuation scheme under the terms of the Local Government Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1987. Further regulations to allow these employees to purchase additional service at a concessionary rate are currently the subject of consultation with local government. It is hoped to make them as soon as possible once the responses to the consultation have been considered.