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Note 6 - Pension And Retirement Plans
 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Note 6 - Pension And Retirement Plans Disclosure  
Note 6 - Pension And Retirement Plans 6.         Pension and Retirement Plans
 
The Company has defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the United Kingdom, Germany and the U.S. In the United Kingdom and Germany, the Company provides defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans for the majority of its employees. In the U.S., the Company provides benefits through supplemental retirement plans to certain current and former employees. The domestic supplemental retirement plans have life insurance policies which are not plan assets but were purchased by the Company as a vehicle to fund the costs of the plan. Domestically, the Company also provides for officer death benefits through post-retirement plans to certain officers.  All of the Company’s defined benefit plans are closed to newly hired employees and have been for fiscal years 2010 and 2011 and for the three months ended December 31, 2011.
 
 
The Company funds its pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the requirements set forth in applicable employee benefits laws and local tax laws. Liabilities for amounts in excess of these funding levels are accrued and reported in the consolidated balance sheets.
 
Our pension plan in the United Kingdom is the only plan with plan assets. The plan assets consist of an investment in a commingled fund which in turn comprises a diversified mix of assets including corporate equity securities, government securities and corporate debt securities.
 
The components of net periodic benefit costs related to the U.S. and international plans are as follows:
 
   
For the Three Months Ended December 31
 
   
2011
   
2010
 
   
Foreign
   
U.S.
   
Total
   
Foreign
   
U.S.
   
Total
 
   
(Amounts in thousands)
 
Pension:
                                   
Service cost
  $ 16     $ 3     $ 19     $ 18     $ 2     $ 20  
Interest cost
    179       21       200       170       25       195  
Expected return on plan assets
    (104 )     —       (104 )     (125 )     —       (125 )
Amortization of:
                                               
Prior service gain
    —       —       —       —       —       —  
Amortization of net gain
    22       7       29       17       8       25  
Net periodic benefit cost
  $ 113     $ 31     $ 144     $ 80     $ 35     $ 115  
                                                 
Post Retirement:
                                               
Service cost
  $ —     $ —     $ —     $ —     $ 5     $ 5  
Interest cost
    —       18       18       —       17       17  
Amortization of net gain
    —       17       17       —       12       12  
Net periodic benefit cost
  $ —     $ 35     $ 35     $ —     $ 34     $ 34