HC Deb 21 March 1955 vol 538 cc1717-9
4. Mr. Houghton

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will assess casual earnings of retirement and widow pensioners on a monthly instead of the present weekly basis.

Mr. Peake

No, Sir. I do not think that it would be practicable to alter the weekly basis of the earnings rule.

Mr. Houghton

Is not the right hon. Gentleman being very tiresome in giving this insipid and feeble answer to a Question which asks when the Conservative Party is going to honour pledges made five years ago?

Mr. Peake

As the hon. Gentleman will recall, we lost the 1950 General Election and were, therefore, not put in a position where we should have to redeem the pledges given on that occasion. The hon. Gentleman will, of course, be in exactly the same position as regards the coming General Election as we were in 1950.

Captain Pilkington

Did not the financial position of the country also deteriorate a good deal in 1950 and 1951?

12. Miss Ward

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance on what date an increase in the permitted earnings rule for retirement pensions is to come into effect.

Mr. Peake

I have no such proposal in mind at the moment.

Miss Ward

Will my right hon. Friend say whether the matter has been referred to the National Insurance Advisory Committee, or whether the decision is one for him and the Government?

Mr. Peake

This matter of the earnings rule has not been referred to the National Insurance Advisory Committee. The Phillips Report referred to it and the Phillips Committee was unanimous in suggesting that the present rule should be maintained unaltered. We are to have a debate, I believe, on the Phillips Report, when hon. Members on all sides can put their views.

Mr. Nabarro

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in the Midlands region we have 51,000 vacancies for jobs at present and many of these vacancies would be filled by old-age pensioners were it not for the somewhat restrictive operation of the present earnings rule?

Mr. Peake

There is a good deal to be said on both sides of this question.

Miss Ward

Hurrah! That is a satisfactory admission at any rate.

Mr. Peake

However, I would ask my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro) not to lose sight of the main objective, which is that people shall stay in work past the minimum retiring age and earn a pension sufficiently large to keep them out of the range of National Assistance for the rest of their days.