Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he had with Cabinet colleagues on the equity of raising the retirement age for prison officers to 68.

HM Treasury published an Impact Assessment in September 2012 on the Public Service Pensions Bill, which later became the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. This Act links the Normal Pension Age for public sector workers (including prison officers) to the State Pension Age. This is important to ensure the Normal Pension Age for public service schemes remains in line with developments in longevity, ensuring the sustainability of the schemes and managing risks to the taxpayer.

There were extensive discussions between Ministers and with Trade Unions and others at this time.