§ 14. Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Minister of Social Security when she intends to introduce Regulations following the Report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on the question of paying unemployment benefit to occupational pensioners.
§ Mrs. HartI hope to refer draft Regulations to the National Insurance Advisory Committee in the near future.
§ Mr. BakerIs the delay in implementing the recommendations of this Report due to the Minister not entirely agreeing with all the recommendations? When the Regulations are presented, can the right hon. Lady assure us that we will have a chance to debate them?
§ Mrs. HartTo answer the last part of the question first, when the Regulations are presented there will automatically be a debate in this House to consider them.
On the first point, I assure the hon. Gentleman that he is quite wrong in drawing any such conclusion. It is normal on matters of this kind for the Minister concerned to have ample time to discuss the proposed changes with interested parties. Over the last two or three months I have had a considerable number of discussions with interested bodies. But I am preparing to refer the draft Regulations shortly.
§ Mr. WorsleyCan the Minister indicate whether these consultations have included those interested in Service pensions, because they are concerned about some of the provisions in this Report?