§ 3. Mr. Houghtonasked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will take steps to end the unsatisfactory position of those in receipt of modified retirement pensions who were insured for longer than the minimum period of five years required to qualify for the pension in full under the old scheme.
§ Mr. PeakeThese people only had restricted rights under the contributory pensions Acts. They therefore fall within the classes for whose transition to the National Insurance scheme special provision had to be made. These provisions seem to have worked satisfactorily and I cannot undertake to re-open them now.
§ Mr. HoughtonDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that, although they may have worked satisfactorily to his Ministry, they have not worked satisfactorily to the people who find their pension cut down even though they have far more contributions to their credit than many who are drawing pensions in full?
§ Mr. PeakeThese transitional arrangements were devised by my predecessor the right hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths). They are very complicated, but they will gradually expire.