HC Deb 24 March 1971 vol 814 cc530-2
37. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will seek to ensure that retired Members of Parliament and their widows will be enabled to draw pensions or annuities on the same basis as those to be paid to the former Speaker King and Mrs. King.

Mr. Whitelaw

The pension arrangements of all Members of Parliament, including that of Mr. Speaker, will be within the scope of the forthcoming review of Members' remuneration. The House has, however, shown, Mr. Speaker, that it recognises the unique responsibilities of your office.

Mr. Lewis

Will the Minister see to it that this suggestion, which would be an admirable one, is put before the Review Body, because this would receive the unanimous support of all hon. Members?

Mr. Whitelaw

I am very grateful to the hon. Member for what he says. I will certainly put it before the Review Body, but, just as a matter of interesting historical fact, the amount of the Speaker's pension remained unaltered from 1832 to 1965. In 1832 it was £4,000 a year; in 1965 it was £4,000 a year.

41. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will appoint a secretariat to the Committee on Members' salaries and conditions of service, whose duty it will be to collect and prepare written and documentary evidence from Members of Parliament and others; and whether he will state to whom Members should write to submit their written evidence pending the submission of oral evidence.

Mr. Whitelaw

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment informed the House on 2nd November, the new Review Bodies will have at their disposal, and working to their directions, a Secretariat provided by the Office of Manpower Economics.

For the rest of the Question, I would again refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave to him and to my hon. Friend the Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro) on 20th January. —[Vol. 809, c. 283, 1066–8.]

Mr. Lewis

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the first part of his reply, but is he aware that the second part has been passed on over the past two years? Will the Minister not try to get some expedition in this matter and give us an opportunity of at least having an investigation into the question without having to wait two years before the committee is appointed? Can he give us some idea when the committee is to be appointed, and the name of the chairman, and to whom we can give information upon which the committee may form a judgment?

Mr. Whitelaw

I am as anxious as anyone in this House that the Review Body should be appointed as soon as possible, and I am working my hardest to that end.

42. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received concerning the pensions of retired Members of Parliament, and especially those who retired prior to 1964.

Mr. Whitelaw

Representations concerning the rates of pension benefits have been received from several ex-Members of the House and from the Trustees of the Members' Contributory Pension Fund. These are receiving urgent attention.

Mr. Hamilton

Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that of the Members who retired in 1964 and, therefore, do not get the same generous benefits which other Members do, some are suffering from considerable hardship, and that it had been hoped that this House would take some immediate action without waiting for the Review Body to consider the matter?

Mr. Whitelaw

I certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman and I will do my very best to that end.