HC Deb 02 May 1966 vol 727 cc1208-9
3. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what provision she proposes to make for people of pensionable age who were excluded from the national insurance scheme from its inception.

Miss Herbison

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (Mr. David Steel) and for Barry (Mr. Gower) on 22nd November, 1965.

Mr. Iremonger

Would the right hon. Lady accept it from this side of the House that retrospective Answers running back into the last Parliament are not in the best interests of the House? May I ask her to bear in mind that this question is very urgent? About 25,000 of these people die every year. Their capital is being rapidly expended and, unless she does something about their needs very soon, many of these very old people will be beyond help.

Miss Herbison

During the past year we carried out a survey into the circumstances of retirement pensioners. In addition, the National Assistance Board gave a very great deal of publicity to the help available, and 50,000 more people today are in receipt of a supplementary pension. We hope that the other Measure announced in the Gracious Speech will help and that the Act dealing with rates rebates will be a very great help indeed for these people.

Sir A. V. Harvey

On a point of order Mr. Speaker. Could you give guidance on this matter? As my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, North (Mr. Iremonger) said, it is unusual for a Minister to refer to a Question answered in a previous Parliament. If we could go back many Parliaments Ministers could get out of it in that way.

Mr. Speaker

I ruled on that point last week. I hope that these points of order, unless they are particularly important, will be raised at the end of Question Time.