88. Mr. Amoryasked the Minister of National Insurance whether he intends to make arrangements in advance of the passing of the National Insurance Bill to ensure that there shall be no delay in the payment of retirement pensions at the new rate to those who will then become entitled to them; arid whether existing old age pensions will be converted into retirement pensions automatically and without action on the part of pensioners.
§ Mr. J. Griffiths:Yes, Sir; the administrative arrangements necessary to give effect to the Government's undertaking to increase old age pension rates in the autumn of this year are already in hand and subject to the passage of the necessary legislation there should be no delay in paying the increased pensions to those entitled to them from the day appointed for the purpose. The arrangements include the issue in a few weeks' time of an inquiry to these classes of pensioners in respect of whom the necessary information relating to retirement is not already available so that, normally, it will be unnecessary for a pensioner to make a formal application for the increase.