§ Sir L. Thomasasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what estimate he has made of the cost per annum if the total earnings of recipients of the retirement pension were increased to £520 per annum, £780 per annum, and £1,000 per annum, respectively.
§ Mr. WoodIncreases of this order in the earnings limit for retirement pensioners would so erode the retirement condition for pension that many of the 415,000 men and women now deferring retirement and earning higher pensions
292Wrepresent over the average for the years 1945, 1950, 1951, 1955 and 1959, respectively.
§ Mr. GodberThe following is the information:
would instead be able to draw a pension on top of their normal earnings. This would be tantamount to abandoning the retirement principle and returning to the sytem of unconditional old-age pensions, and could cost up to £110 million a year immediately.