Pensions (Hansard, 14 June 2004)

§ John Barrett
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of average income the state pension represented in each year since 1994. [177409]

§ Malcolm Wicks
The information is not available in the format requested. The information as is available is in the table.

Percentage of average income

1996–97 35

1997–98 34

1998–99 31

1999–2000 31

2000–01 29

2001–02 30

Notes:

1. State pension figures are derived from a five per cent. sample of DWP administrative data taken at March in each year.

2. Average income for each financial year is median gross weekly individual income taken from Individual Incomes 1996/7–2001/2 published by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Individual Income series used is based on the Family Resources Survey which has been available since 1996.

3. State pension is calculated as the maximum rate of basic state pension plus the average amount of additional state pension in payment for recently retired men aged 65 and women aged 60.

4. The figures have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.

§ Mr. Willetts
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension schemes have started the winding-up process in each year since 1997; and how many pension scheme members have been affected, broken down by(a) pensioners and (b) people who had not retired when the winding-up began. [177544]

§ Malcolm Wicks
The Pensions Schemes Registry, administered by the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulatory Authority (OPRA), holds information on the number of pension schemes which are currently in the winding up process. Figures showing the number of schemes that have entered winding up each year since 1997 and have not yet completed winding up are contained in the table, along with numbers of members in those schemes.
It is not possible to break these figures down by pensioner and pre-retirement numbers, as the registry only provides data on total membership numbers.

Schemes that are winding up

Number of
Schemes
Number of
members

1 Apri 1997–3 March 1998 120 1,944

1 Apri 1998–3 March 1999 156 5,143

1 Apri 1999–3 March 2000 3,921 88,577

1 Apri 2000–3 March 2001 1,403 52,623

1 Apri 2001–3 March 2002 1,866 61,639

1 Apri 2002–3 March 2003 1,460 73,982

1 Apri 2003–3 March 2004 1,420 48,194

Total 10,346 332,102

730W
Notes:
1. The table does not contain schemes that started winding up in the time period given and have since completed wind up. The Pensions Schemes Registry only records the present status of a scheme so only those winding up at the moment are captured. This is unlikely to bias the figures extensively as the winding up process can take many years to complete, particularly for large firms.
2. A winding up scheme is one which has notified OPRA that it has commenced winding up procedures.
3. Schemes have up to 12 months to notify OPRA of any status change so the data for the current year is provisional.

Percentage of average income
1996–97	35
1997–98	34
1998–99	31
1999–2000	31
2000–01	29
2001–02	30
Notes:
1. State pension figures are derived from a five per cent. sample of DWP administrative data taken at March in each year.
2. Average income for each financial year is median gross weekly individual income taken from Individual Incomes 1996/7–2001/2 published by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Individual Income series used is based on the Family Resources Survey which has been available since 1996.
3. State pension is calculated as the maximum rate of basic state pension plus the average amount of additional state pension in payment for recently retired men aged 65 and women aged 60.
4. The figures have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.

Schemes that are winding up
	Number of Schemes	Number of members
1 Apri 1997–3 March 1998	120	1,944
1 Apri 1998–3 March 1999	156	5,143
1 Apri 1999–3 March 2000	3,921	88,577
1 Apri 2000–3 March 2001	1,403	52,623
1 Apri 2001–3 March 2002	1,866	61,639
1 Apri 2002–3 March 2003	1,460	73,982
1 Apri 2003–3 March 2004	1,420	48,194
Total	10,346	332,102