HC Deb 20 July 1970 vol 804 cc33-4
73. Mrs. Sally Oppenheim

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to ease the earnings rule for retirement pensioners.

The Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Mr. Paul Dean)

My right hon. Friend has no statement to make at present but as I said in reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Ardwick (Mr. Kaufman) on 13th July, this is one of the aspects of social security to which we shall be giving close consideration.—[Vol. 803, c. 123.]

Mrs. Oppenheim

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Will he confirm, in view of the Answer given to the hon. Member for Somerset, North (Mr. Dean) on 12th February, 1970, that a retirement pension is a right for which the recipient and his employer have largely paid and should not, therefore, be subject to any means test such as the earnings rule represents?

Mr. Dean

I congratulate my hon. Friend on her researches. I assure her that we are giving sympathetic consideration to this point.

Mr. Lomas

Will the hon. Gentleman tell us whether the suggestion outlined and embodied in the proposals in the Conservative manifesto is yet another promise which we know will not be fulfilled?

Mr. Dean

Her Majesty's Government have already fulfilled a number of pledges in the manifesto in record time. I assure the hon. Gentleman that all the pledges on social security and on other matters will be fulfilled in due course.