§ Mrs. Winifred Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward legislation to enable a married woman to qualify for a pension at 60 years of age automatically, irrespective of her husband's age or her own contribution record.
§ Mr. OrmeNo. To pay a pension on the basis suggested would be incompatible with the contributory nature of our present system of retirement pensions. However, as a result of changes introduced by our new pension scheme—including the phasing out of the married woman's contribution option, the abolition of the half-test and, particularly, the introduction of special provisions to protect pension rights during periods of home responsibilities—the number of married women who fail to qualify for pensions in their own right at age 60 will, as the scheme matures, progressively diminish.