§ 34. Mr. Chetwyndasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what percentage of insured workers have continued in employment after reaching retirement age.
§ Mr. PeakeI would refer the hon. Member to the table given on page 14 of the Annual Report of the Ministry of National Insurance, presented to Parliament in July last. This gives, for men and women separately and in considerable detail, the latest available information.
§ Mr. ChetwyndCan the right hon. Gentleman give us the average figure, so that we may know what all that means?
§ Mr. PeakeThere is no average figure, because it varies for men and women; it varies according to each year after the minimum pension age is reached.
§ Mr. ChetwyndIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with that figure, and does he consider the present inducements adequate to achieve the desired results?
§ Mr. PeakeAbout 60 per cent. of men do not retire immediately on reaching 65. I should like to see a still higher figure.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsDo the figures already published by the Department indicate that there has been any increase at all in the number of pensioners who stay at work as a result of the inducement?
§ Mr. PeakeI think it is very difficult to draw any conclusions from the published figures, but we are conducting a sample inquiry at present to try to find out the reasons why people decide either to retire or to postpone retirement.