HL Deb 17 July 1962 vol 242 cc546-8

3.42 p.m.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I will make the statement which is now being made in another place by my right honourable friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The Government propose to introduce early next session a Pensions (Increase) Bill to give help to public service pensioners. Comparable benefits will be provided for regular pensioners of the Armed Forces, including their widows, by Prerogative Instruments. The pensions of many of the public service pensioners are paid from local government sources, and therefore the Government intend to enter into consultation with representatives of the local authorities on the local government aspects of the proposed Bill. Your Lordships will be aware that my right honourable friend the Secretary for Technical Co-operation has appointed a Working Party to examine the problem of overseas pensioners whose pensions are not being adequately supplemented by the former employing Governments. The Government hope to receive the Report of the Working Party during the Recess, and there will be opportunity to include provision in the forthcoming Bill.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for that statement. Of course we shall have to await the Bill itself before we can see what the details are. I always have the feeling, on such occasions as this, that we could be doing more for the old-age pensioners at this time. I see that there is no mention of anything further for the old-age pensioners, although we on this side have made many requests in this connection. The other thing I sometimes feel very sorry about is that, whilst this is done for local and national Government servants, there are many people in the country who have held quite considerable positions in industry and the like, whose pensions have been dependent upon an insurance policy to which they have contributed, and for whom there is no means of bringing about any amelioration in the cost of living in order to help them, considering the fact that they have paid in a great deal of money. I think that at some time or other this whole question should be considered.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, these very important matters do not, of course, arise out of the statement, but I am grateful to the noble Viscount for having drawn our attention to them.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl for the statement, in particular for the reference to the ex-Colonial Service pensioners. May I ask the noble Earl whether he will represent to his right honourable friend that it is important for these considerations to be completed without undue delay, remembering that many of these people are elderly and that some are living under conditions of extreme hardship?

LORD HARDING OF PETHERTON

My Lords, as an old soldier, and as one who as taken some part in urging upon the Government the importance of improving Service pensions, I should like to say how warmly we welcome this statement by the Government. I very much hope that when the details are published, particularly those in regard to Service widows, they will come up to the reasonable expectation of those concerned.

VISCOUNT GOSCHEN

My Lords, I also should like to thank the Government for the statement, and for the fact that they are to introduce a Bill early next Session in relation to pensions of the Armed Services. I also speak on behalf of my noble friends, Lord Teynham, and Lord Bridgeman, who will be very pleased about this, because they, like many other noble Lords in this House, have often spoken on the subject of Service and widows' pensions.

VISCOUNT LONG

My Lords, there is one question that I should like to ask the noble Earl. Will the pensions of the officers who were deprived of their income in 1931 (of whom there are many) be considered in this Bill?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I am grateful to your Lordships for raising all these points, and I would assure you that the Government do not intend that there should be any delay in arriving at a conclusion and bringing in a Bill. I will also ask my noble friend to consider what has just been said by the noble Viscount, Lord Long, because I am not sure to which classes of officers he is referring.

VISCOUNT LONG

Those who were deprived of a portion of their pensions after 1931.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

I will certainly ask my noble friend to look carefully into that aspect of the matter.

BUILDING SOCIETIES BILL [H.L.]

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BILL [H.L.]

Returned from the Commons, agreed to.