§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take in accordance with EEC law, to end sex discrimination in the United Kingdom in respect of the retirement age.
§ Mr. ScottThe Sex Discrimination Act 1986, coming into force this month, prohibits discrimination between male and female employees in respect of compulsory dismissal from work on grounds of age. There is no statutory retirement age as such in the United Kingdom. State pension age is excluded from the requirements of EC directive 79/7 on equal treatment in social security and under EC directive 86/378 pension ages in occupational pension schemes may differ between men and women so long as differences remain in the state pension scheme.