§ 14. Mr. Rifkindasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she has any proposals for maintaining in real value the age addition paid to retirement pensioners 80 years of age and over.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThis matter will be kept under review in the light of competing priorities within overall provision for retirement pensioners.
§ Mr. RifkindDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that the over-80s are probably suffering more than any other population group because of the Government's hopeless inability to deal with the rate of inflation or to control the value of savings? Has he anything to say to give an assurance to the over-80s that their present standard of living will be maintained, as opposed to being diminished over the months and years to come?
§ Mr. O'MalleyIf I may say so, that was a very silly supplementary question. I can tell the hon. Gentleman about the hope that I shall give to old-age pensioners 214 —namely, that for a long time in future a Labour Government will continue in office to further the already substantial improvements which have been made by this Government, which we were told in the last weeks of a Conservative Government were extravagant and unrealistic. In fact, we introduced those improvements. The present Government have done more for retirement pensioners than any other Government since the inception of the national insurance system.