§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the estimated cost of paying old age pensions in full to those whose contributions at present entitle them to diminished benefit or no benefit; and what is the estimated saving in National Assistance payments which would be made thereby.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonThe immediate cost of paying retirement pensions, at the standard rates in the National Insurance Act, 1963, to those who have paid insufficient contributions or none would be of the order of £125 million a year. To do so might result in a saving of the order of £40 million a year in payments by the National Assistance Board.