§ Mr. Andrew BowdenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to extend the arrangements made by the civil service pension scheme for the payment of pensions to the widows of post-retirement marriages to include those widows of such marriages whose husbands retired before 6 April 1978.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe Government's position in respect of the payment of pensions, under the civil service pension scheme, to the widows of post-retirement marriages has not changed since I replied to a similar question from my hon. Friend on 14 December last year. There are no plans to extend the present arrangements so that account is taken of pensionable service before 6 April 1978.