HC Deb 09 June 1992 vol 209 cc107-8W
Mr. Trimble

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) pursuant to his answer of 2 June,Official Report, columns 440-41 whether he will publish the guidance issued by the education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools relating to the enhancement of pensions of teachers taking early retirement;

(2) whether he will state the number of teachers in controlled schools that each of the education and library boards decided should be permitted to take early retirement and the number of teachers in Catholic maintained schools that the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools decided should be permitted to take early retirement in each of the last three financial years, showing in each case the number that were awarded pension enhancement.

Mr. Hanley

I will arrange for the guidance issued by the education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Schools to be placed in the Library.

For the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91, the education and library boards and the boards of governors of Catholic maintained schools decided on the number of teachers to be released under the premature retirement scheme in the controlled and Catholic maintained schools respectively; only cases relating to the efficient discharge of the employers' function being subject to Department of Education approval. These same bodies also decided on the level of enhancement.

Under the arrangements introduced in the 1991–92 financial year, decisions on premature retirement, including enhancement, have been taken by the boards of governors of controlled and maintained schools which have fully delegated budgets. In the case of special schools and schools with partially delegated budgets, these decisions have been taken by the education and library boards in respect of the controlled school and by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools in respect of Catholic maintained schools.

The number of premature retirements on grounds of redundancy and of efficient discharge, and the number awarded enhancement in each of the last three financial years, are as follows:

Board Controlled Maintained
1989–901
Belfast education and library board 25 17
Western education and library board 28 15
North Eastern education and library board 47 33
South Eastern education and library board 30 17
Board Controlled Maintained
Southern education and library board 35 18
Total 165 100
1990–91
Belfast education and library board 24 23
Western education and library board 38 25
North Eastern education and library board 252 25
South Eastern education and library board 30 10
Southern education and library board 48 16
Total 192 99
1991–92
Belfast education and library board 218 23
Western education and library board 228 235
North Eastern education and library board 248 22
South Eastern education and library board 233 11
Southern education and library board 343 36
Total 170 127
1 All with enhancement.
2 One without enhancement.
3 Five without enhancement.

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