§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the present arrangements for taking into account pension entitlements obtained prior to the National Insurance Act 1948; and if he will consider changes to benefit all those who paid contributions under the old Health and Pensions Act prior to 5 July 1983 and who, under the existing regulations, are unable to obtain benefit for such contributions.
Dr. BoysonI assume the hon. Member is referring to 5 July 1948 when the National Insurance Act was introduced. Contributions for old-age pensions under the former Contributory Pension Acts can count for retirement pension purposes only if insurance under those Acts continued up to 5 July 1948 when the National Insurance scheme was introduced. Insurance under those Acts was not necessarily continuous, and when a person ceased to be insurably employed his insurance continued for a prescribed period and then terminated. The application to individuals of the rules under which insurance was allowed to continue for a prescribed period are complex, but if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I shall be pleased to look into it for him. We have no plans to alter the basis on which contributions paid prior to 5 July 1948 are taken into account.