§ 37. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that British citizens who have been in the service of the Crown for 20 years or more and whose ancestors have also served the Crown are not deprived of the over-eighties pension because they live in Ireland.
§ Sir K. JosephAn over-eighties pension is payable in the Republic of Ireland at the rate current in this country and since 1st April the European Economic Community Social Security Regulations allow residence in the Republic to count towards satisfying the condition relating to past residence in the United Kingdom. I do not think it would be right to relax the requirement that, to qualify for an over eighties pension, a person must ordinarily reside in Great Britain at the time he claims.