§ 9. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether she will introduce a cost-of-living index to be specially applicable to old-age pensioners.
§ Miss HerbisonI am considering this complex matter.
§ Mr. RidsdaleWould not the Minister agree, whilst there was no need to have such an index under the last Administration—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—since the cost of living has now gone up so much, the value of the pension increase in real terms will be worth almost nothing by the time the pensioners receive it and that publication of a cost-of-living index would be a real indication to trade union leaders to keep their claims in line with productivity and an indication that the burden of wages going ahead of productivity is placed so much on the old-age pensioner and on people with fixed incomes?
§ Miss HerbisonIf the hon. Member will await a reply to further Questions, he will find that much of what he has said is simply poppycock.
§ Mr. ShinwellWill my right hon. Friend take this occasion to repudiate the suggestion that there was no increase in the cost of living during the last 12 years?
§ Miss HerbisonI thought that my short reply dealt with that. The hon. Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale), who put down the Question, must have known that throughout all those years the old people were objecting to their pensions being tied for part of the time to the index of retail prices.
§ Mr. RidsdaleIs the right hon. Lady aware that such a frivolous reply as she has given will be treated in the correct manner by the old-age pensioners?
§ Miss HerbisonI prefer the old-age pensioners to judge by deeds. If they do, they will find the increase very much better than any they had previously.
§ Mr. WoodIs the Minister aware that the level of the pension was never tied to any index, and that if it had been it would not have been nearly as high as it was?
§ 10. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what she estimates is the total number of those pensioners who are not covered by National Insurance Acts and whose incomes are below £500 a year; and what is their average age.
§ Miss HerbisonI regret that the information requested in not available. There are rather more than 450,000 old people who have no retirement pensions because they have not paid sufficient—or in some cases any—contributions. Their average age is about 78. About 210,000 are receiving payments from the National Assistance Board but the income distribution of the remainder is not known.
§ Mr. RidsdaleIs it the Minister's intention to support the excellent Bill which is being introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Abingdon (Mr. Neave) to help these people?
§ Miss HerbisonPerhaps the hon. Member will await the introduction of the Bill, since no one yet knows what it will contain.