§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the harmonisation of the rates of pension contribution and rates of pension payable in the European Economic Community; and if he will publish in theOfficial Report details of pension provision in other European Economic Community countries for industrial workers together with a table showing the current number of pensioners as a percentage of the working population and the forecast for the years 2000 and 2025.
§ Mr. Peter LloydIt is simply not possible to compare validly the basic pension with pensions in other EC countries, which are generally based on personal earnings, and to ignore the state earnings-related pension and occupational pensions, of which the latter are much more widespread here than in most European countries. For details of pension provision in other EC countries, I refer the hon. Member to the "Tables on Social Benefit Systems in the European Communities", a copy of which is available in the Library.
The current number of pensioners expressed as a percentage of the working population is about 35 per cent. On our best estimates, the corresponding figures for the years 2000 and 2025 will be about 36 per cent. and 47 per cent. respectively.