§ 25. Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will institute a study into a flexible retirement age.
§ 37. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether phased retirement is in accordance with his policy.
§ 45. Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is Government policy to introduce a flexible retirement age.
§ Mr. OrmeI would refer the hon. Members and my hon. and learned Friend to my Department's memorandum entitled "Pension Age", a copy of which has been sent to them. As that document makes clear, a flexible retirement age would give rise to a number of problems, notably of cost, and we have no plans for a further study.
§ 19. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what 110W were the latest estimates for the net cost of reducing the pensionable age of men to 60 years, assuming 70 per cent. of the jobs vacated on retirement were filled by the unemployed; and what were the corresponding estimates for phased earlier retirement at 64 years, 63 years, 61 yea's and 60 years, assuming that over a 10-year period 90 per cent. of the jobs vacated were filled by the unemployed.
§ Mr. OrmeThe answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's Question is an extra £1,000 million a year. I regret that the estimates required to answer the second part of his Question are not available.