§ 18. Mr. Charles Greyasked the Minister of National Insurance when he proposes to review the position of old age pensioners; and what form the review will take.
§ Mr. PeakeI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12th November, 1951, by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser).
§ Mr. GreyWill the Minister compare the answer he has just given with what was put out in the Conservative Party's election manifesto?
§ Mr. PeakeI would inform the hon. Gentleman that the question of pensions affects a great many other Departments besides my own, and that, so far as my own Department is concerned, the new rates, which were introduced in last summer's Bill, have been operating for only a few weeks.
§ Sir Ian FraserCan my right hon. Friend say whether the proposed review has started, or whether it is going to wait for the quinquennium?
§ Mr. PeakeI think that my hon. Friend, if he is referring to the review mentioned by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, had better put down his question to that Department.
§ Sir I. FraserThat is the question that I put down.
§ Mr. Sydney SilvermanWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that there is nothing in the Question about the rates of pensions, and that there are a great many other questions that could be reviewed besides the rates of pay, such as conditions of retirement, which is becoming, in these times of shortage of manpower, an important subject.