§ 60. Mr. Freesonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will take steps to further increase the retirement pension before the end of the year.
§ Miss HerbisonI would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Torquay (Sir F. Bennett) and to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) on 12th July.
§ 62. Brigadier Clarkeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will now take steps to link the retirement pension to the cost of living and backdate it to 1st April, 1965.
§ Miss HerbisonNo. The increases of retirement pension and other benefits recently made went very much beyond what would have been required to make good their loss of purchasing power since the previous occasion on which they were raised.