§ Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the Minister of Social Security whether she will now state the amount of money from public funds which is being paid in unemployment benefit to people who choose to retire on pension from posts before they reach the age at which they qualify for retirement pensions from the State; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. HartIt is estimated, on the basis of a special inquiry carried out in July, 1966 among a sample of men between 60 and 65 who were registered for employment, that the present cost of paying unemployment benefit to occupational pensioners in that age group is of the order of £7 million a year.
On the second part of the Question I have nothing to add to my reply of 7th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner). [Vol. 758, c. 195.]