§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the full provisions of the armed forces pension schemes are set out; and if he will summarise them.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe provisions of the armed forces pension scheme are set out in separate documents for each of the three services. For naval personnel, in Orders in Council; for Army personnel, in the Army Pensions Warrant 1977; for RAF personnel, in Queen's Regulations for the Royal Air Forces.
Overall, the provisions of the scheme are extensive and detailed. In broad terms the following are provided for:
—a lump sum and immediate long-service pension for a member who retires on completion of at least a minimum period of reckonable service of 16 years for commissioned officers, and 22 years for other ranks;—a preserved pension and preserved lump sum, payable at age 60 or transferable to another scheme, for a member who completes at least two years' contracted-out service, but less than the minimum reckonable service required for the award of an immediate long-service pension;—a lump sum and immediate tax-free pension for a member whose service is terminated prematurely on medical grounds which are attributable to service, and where the assessed degree of disability is 20 per cent. or more;—a lump sum and immediate pension for a member whose service is terminated prematurely on medical grounds which are not attributable to service, or which are attributable but the assessed degree of disability is less than 20 per cent., provided that at least two years' reckonable service has been given;—a pension for the eligible widow or widower of a member, which is for current service normally one half of that which would have been payable to the member but which, in the event of death being attributable to service, is at a special enhanced rate;—a pension for each eligible child, up to age 17 or longer if full-time education continues.In general the amount of lump sums, and rates of pension, are associated with rank held and length of service given. Awards made in cases where service is 384W terminated on medical grounds which are attributable to service are not less than a guaranteed minimum level related to rank held and the assessed degree of disability. No minimum length of service is required in order for the member to become eligible for such an award nor, in the event of death attributable to service, for an award to any eligible widow or widower and child.
Long-service pensions are increased from age 55 to reflect movements in the retail prices index since the date of award. Other pensions are index-linked from the date of award.
The provisions apply equally to male and female members of the scheme.