§ Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the proportion of the rise in Government liabilities resulting from unfunded parts of the police and fire pension scheme in the last five years due to(a) wage inflation, (b) longevity, (c) extension of the rights of part-time workers and (d) other factors; and if he will make a statement. [67025]
§ Mr. DenhamIn relation to the police pension scheme, which is unfunded, I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 1 July 2002 given by myself to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Andrew Turner),Official Report, column 186W. There is no baseline at present by which to measure the increase in liabilities, but the main driving factors are price inflation, and real earnings growth for current employees and new pensioners.
Matters relating to firefighters' pensions are for my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.