§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of pensions payable to former members of the armed services who retired in the 1970s. [136117]
§ Mr. SpellarFormer members of the armed services who retired during the mid 1970s were affected by policies under which increases in pay were limited, but pensions in payment continued to be fully protected against price inflation. People who retired when price inflation was running at a higher rate than pay increases could therefore receive lower pensions than those retiring before or after them.
These policies affected all those employed in the public service. The Government have no plans retrospectively to change the pensions of those who retired during this period. The pensions of all such individuals have, like those of other public servants, been fully protected against inflation since their retirement.