§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the current retiring age for those employed at each government agency. [HL1266]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonIn line with all employers in the public and private sector, the Government believe that the Civil Service should be allowed to determine retirement age policy with regard to its business needs while giving staff as much choice as possible about when they retire.
Departments and agencies are free to set the normal retirement age for their own staff subject only to the requirement that the minimum age at which civil servants can retire with an unreduced pension is currently 60.
212WAAgainst this background, 80 per cent of the Civil Service below the Senior Civil Service now has the option to remain in work until 65, and a further 11 per cent has the option to remain in work on short service concessions.
Although no central record is maintained of the age that individual government agencies require their staff to retire, Building a Sustainable Future, Proposals for changes to the Civil Service Pension Scheme states that the average retirement age across the Civil Service is 62.
The current normal retirement age for the Senior Civil Service is 60. However, heads of departments and agency chief executives have the flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond 60 if they judge it to be in the public interest and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will encourage government agencies to allow employees who wish to continue to work beyond the standard retiring age to be allowed to do so, subject to continued capability of those concerned. [HL1267]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonIn line with all employers in the public and private sector, the Government believe that the Civil Service should be allowed to determine retirement age policy with regard to its business needs whilst giving staff as much choice as possible about when they retire.
Departments and agencies are free to set the normal retirement age for their own staff subject only to the requirement that the minimum age at which civil servants can retire with an unreduced pension is currently 60.
Against this background, 80 per cent of the Civil Service below the Senior Civil Service now has the option to remain in work until 65, and a further 11 per cent has the option to remain in work on short service concessions.
Those departments and agencies that have decided that there is a strong case in the current circumstances for retaining a retirement age of 60 for staff will be expected to continue to re-examine the issue and look positively at offering more flexibilities to older staff before they are required to do so by the introduction of regulations in response to the EU Directive on Equal Treatment in October 2006.
The normal retirement age for the Senior Civil Service is 60. However, heads of departments and agency chief executives have the flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond 60 if they judge it to be in the public interest and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties. Retirement and pension ages for SCS will be the subject of review before October 2006 to conform with planned legislation.