§ LORD DELACOURT-SMITHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government:
- (1) How many men and women currently over the age of eighty receive no pension under the National Insurance scheme;
- (2) How many will qualify for pension under the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance Allowance) Bill 1970–71;
- (3) Into what main categories the over-eighties who will not: qualify under that Bill fall by reference to the reasons for the failure to qualify for National Insurance pensions.]
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, the Government believe that very approximately 13,000 persons over the age of 830 eighty receive no pension under the existing National Insurance Scheme and that some 100,000 of them—that is to say, men over eighty-seven and women over eighty-two on July 5, 1970—will quality under the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance Allowance) Bill. The remaining 30,000 are of ages which would have enabled them to qualify for full pension under the present scheme, but who have failed to pay the minimum contributions necessary to qualify for any pension.
§ LORD DELACOURT-SMITHMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for that reply and reserve any further questions and comments until later to-day?