§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information he collates as to the adequacy of(a) funded provision and (b) direct funding for public sector pension schemes to discharge their present and future obligations. [57245]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe Department does not collate information on the adequacy of public sector pension schemes to discharge present and future liabilities.
In the case of funded public sector schemes, this would be taken into account in discussions with the sponsoring Department.
In the case of unfunded public sector schemes, projections of future expenditure are taken into account as part of the long-term fiscal projections of Her Majesty's Treasury. These are published as part of the Economic and Fiscal Strategy report at the time of the Budget. A copy of the 2002 report is in the Library and shows that the public finances are sustainable in the long term.