§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that men on reaching retirement age of 65 years can apply for a refund in regard to prescription charges, if he will take steps to allow women, who retire at 60 years, also to apply without waiting five further years.
§ Mr. AlisonNo. People are exempt from these charges at 65 because from that age they are likely to need an increasing number of prescriptions, not
RETIREMENT PENSION Single person Man plus wife on his insurance Rate of pension in payment on that date Purchasing power at June, 1970 prices Rate of pension in payment on that date Purchasing power at June, 1970 prices Date £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. June, 1945 … … … 10 0 1 5 1 1 0 0 2 10 2 June, 1950 … … … 1 6 0 2 17 9 2 2 0 4 13 3 June, 1955 … … … 2 0 0 3 7 5 3 5 0 5 9 7 June, 1960 … … … 2 10 0 3 14 1 4 0 0 5 18 7 June, 1964 … … … 3 7 6 4 7 11 5 9 0 7 2 0 September, 1970 … … 5 0 0 4 18 10 8 2 0 8 0 2