asked Her Majesty's Government:What numbers and categories of employees in central and local government and in public agencies are: (

The following table sets out the approximate numbers of (a) pensions in payment to former employees and their dependants and (b) serving members of the main public service superannuation schemes.

	CURRENTLY DRAWING PENSIONS			ENTITLED TO PENSIONS
Scheme	Retired	Dependants	Total Pensions	Serving Members
	'000	'000	'000	'000
Armed Forces	241	54	295	313
Civil and Diplomatic Services	290	95	385	700
NHS	175	30	205	728
Local Government	261	67	328	1,098
Teachers	180	7	187	662
Police and Fire	91	41	132	165
Overseas	45	15	60	—
Total	1,283	309	1,592	3,666

I regret that corresponding details for the nationalised industry pension schemes are not available centrally. In 1979, however, 5.6 million employees in all belonged to public service and public sector pension schemes together (of which the nationalised industries were a part), and 2.4 million were drawing pensions. Of the latter 1.9 million were retired employees and 0.5 million dependants. Most of these pensioners would have been receiving fully inflation-proofed pensions.House adjourned at eleven minutes before eight o'clock.