§ 15. Mr. Norman Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to provide for the retirement pension to be paid as of right upon the pensioner attaining the statutory age of entitlement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI assume that the hon. Gentleman has in mind the payment of the pension from pension age, whether a person has retired or not. I can only repeat what has been said on a number of occasions, that the Government are committed to phasing out the earnings rule for retirement pensioners, and the retirement condition with it, and will give effect to this commitment as soon as circumstances allow.
§ Mr. AtkinsonIs the Minister aware that many of us also have in mind the fact that State pensioners suffer compulsory deductions that other pensioners do not suffer? Now that the rules have been changed and it is possible for a contributor to contract in or out of the national scheme, should there not be parity between them? Will she ensure that manual workers do not, once again, get the worst of the bargain?
§ Mrs. ChalkerSince the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 came into being, manual workers with schemes of their own have not been treated worse than those in the State scheme. It is for their companies, and for the unions within those companies, to negotiate pension rights for their workers. If, as I suspect, the hon. Gentlieman has a detailed point in mind, I hope that he will write to me. I shall do my best to give him a full answer.