§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to raise the normal retirement age for teachers to 65; what estimate he has made of the cost savings from raising the pension age to 65; and if he will make a statement. [156575]
§ Mr. MilibandThe retirement age of teachers is covered in the contract of employment between the teacher and their employer. Issues relating to contractual retirement ages are still under consideration in the light of the policy on encouraging longer working lifetimes in the Green Paper (GM 5865) "Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement. Action on occupational pensions"; and considerations on how legislation on age discrimination under the EU Employment Directive EC78/2000 will be implemented in the UK.
The provisions of the Teachers' Pension Scheme are currently under review in consultation with representatives of teacher and employer associations. This review is being conducted in the context of proposals to increase the normal pension age (ie the age at which
All undergraduate students enrolled at UK institutions, 2002/03 Pre-1992 Of which: Russell group1 Post-1992 Age 1st degree Other UG 1st degree Other UG 1st degree Other UG Up to 20 years 332,673 18,565 164,300 6,165 201,829 33,816 21–24 years 125,991 31,785 59,305 9,118 131,420 31,147 25 years plus 51,845 257,405 15,934 44,109 102,069 105,671 Total 510,509 307,755 239,539 59,392 435,318 170,634 1The Russell Group includes the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton, Warwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, King's College London, University College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Learning Skills Council (LSC) 1012W
Other HEIs FEIs1 Total Age 11 degree Other UG 1st degree Other UG 1st degree Other UG Up to 20 years 65,342 11,389 5,621 49,810 605,465 113,580 21–24 years 35,934 8,599 4,238 30,626 297,583 102,157 25 years plus 27,967 32,483 7,428 107,536 189,309 503,095 Total 129,243 52,471 17,287 187,972 1,092,357 718,832 1Figures for HE study in FE institutions have been carried over from 2001/02 until figures for 2002/03 are available. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Learning Skills Council (LSC) scheme members can access an unreduced pension) to 65. It is proposed that the higher pension age would apply to new teachers from 2006 and to the future service of existing teachers from 2013. The impact on scheme costs of the increase in the normal pension age and any improvements that may be made to the existing provisions of the TPS will be assessed by the Government Actuary as options are worked up in consultation with teacher and employer representatives.