To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the rate of employer contributions is to the pension scheme of which employees at the Audit Commission for England and Wales are members.

This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.

Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 3 April 2008:

Parliamentary Question on what the rate of employer contributions is to the pension scheme of which employees at the Audit Commission for England and Wales are members.

Your Parliamentary Question on what the rate of employer contributions is to the pension scheme of which employees at the Audit Commission for England and Wales are members has been passed to me to reply.

The Audit Commission Pension Scheme (ACPS) is a funded, self-administered defined benefit pension scheme which was established with the inception of the Audit Commission in 1983. The ACPS is subject to the requirements of Scheme Specific Funding as introduced in the Pensions Act 2004.

The current employers' contribution rate to the Audit Commission Pension Scheme is 17% whilst employees contribute 6% of their salary.

From 1 April 2005 the Wales Audit Office (WAO) took over responsibility for auditing and inspecting Welsh public services. Employees of the WAO are now members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The text of this letter will be placed in Hansard.