§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Seervices what is her estimate of the average increase in the national insurance retirement pension payable to persons at present affected by the earnings rule and the retirement condition if both these restrictions were abolished.
§ Mr. Alec JonesIt is estimated that in April 1975 there will be about 190,000
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§ Mr. William RossI met representatives of the General Council on 5th April 1974 to discuss the economic situation, and on 19th July for consultations on the White Paper on Devolution (Cmnd. 5732). I also addressed the STUC annual conference on 19th April. In addition, other Scottish Ministers have met representatives of the STUC on the following occasions:
persons deferring their retirement who will not be entitled to retirement pension because of the retirement condition. Of these, 100,000 are married men whose wives have no entitlement to retirement pension in their own right. For the 100,000 married couples, the average increase would be £18.20 per week. For the remainder, the average increase would be £11.40 per week. Both of these figures take into account, and are additional to, the invalidity pensions now being paid in some cases.
The 10,000 re-employed pensioners whose pensions are completely extinguished by the earnings rule would receive, on average, £11.80 per week. The further 10,000 re-employed pensioners whose pensions are reduced by the earnings rule would receive, on average, about an extra £4 per week.