§ 3. Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many personal pension schemes have been established at the latest available date.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Mr. Peter Lloyd)Nearly I million people have opted so far to take out a personal pension, through 122 personal pension schemes.
§ Mr. SternI am most grateful for that reply. Does my hon. Friend recollect the way in which the Opposition fought the principle of personal pensions line by line and clause by clause during consideration of the Social Security Bill 1986? Does he agree that that shows, once again, how the Opposition object to any extension of freedom, although more than I million people have so far supported this extension of freedom?
§ Mr. LloydMy hon. Friend is quite right when he says that there was no enthusiasm by the Opposition for personal pensions. The figures that I have just given my hon. Friend show that there is enormous enthusiasm among those sections of the work force which, by and large, were not eligible to join the occupational pension schemes. Quite clearly, they wanted to do so.