§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if Liberal Democrat members of the Cabinet Joint Consultative Committee received briefings on the green paper on pensions before its contents were disclosed to hon. Members. [64772]
§ Mr. DarlingAfter discussion with the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown), I have discussed matters in relation to pensions with the Liberal Democrat pensions spokesman, the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb). I am always prepared to discuss any aspect of my Department's policy with right hon. and hon. Members. I have held no discussion on pensions policy with the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith), nor have I attended the Joint Consultative Committee.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will break down into its constituent parts the £150 billion figure he has given for the privatisation of the state pension system; [65005]
(2) if he will break down into its constitution parts his £150 billion estimate for privatising current state pension provision. [65175]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 11 January 1999]: The figure of £150 billion for the privatisation of the State Pension system is the cumulative Public Sector Borrowing Requirement cost to 2040 of introducing the previous Government's policy Basic Pension Plus. This sum represents the increased cost of National Insurance rebates (approximately £300 billion) less savings from changing the tax treatment of pensions (approximately £150 billion).
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for the structure and level of national insurance rebates for those who take out stakeholder pensions. [65580]
§ Mr. TimmsI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 11 January 1999,Official Report, column 66.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to paragraph 21, page 4, of "Partnership in Pensions", Cm 4179, what is the basis for the statement 271W that the minimum income guarantee provides a minimum income in retirement without the stigma some people associate with income support. [65594]
§ Mr. TimmsWe have completed research into why some pensioners do not claim their benefit entitlements and pilots into the best ways of encouraging them to do so. We are using the results to develop a strategy to overcome the barriers to claiming, including the problem of stigma. For example, we propose to run a publicity campaign in 1999 which will emphasise that the minimum income guarantee is an entitlement, not a hand out.