§ Mr. Charles Irving asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the approximate cost of introducing voluntary retirement for men aged 60 years.
§ Mr. Rossi:I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 20 October to the hon. Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts). Under the job release scheme operated by the Department of Employment disabled men may already leave work at age 60 provided that their employer undertakes to replace them from the unemployed register. The scheme for other men is about to be expanded by lowering the age of eligibility from 64 to 63 from 1 November 1981 and to 62 from 1 February 1982.