§ Mr. Woodhouseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will introduce legislation to abolish the rule limiting the earnings of retirement pensioners for purposes of their assessment for income tax.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI assume that the hon. Member has in mind the rule that affects the retirement pensions of persons who are less than five years over minimum pension age where their earnings are £9.60 a week or more. On the basis of the new pension rates we are proposing, it would cost about £160 million in a full year to abolish the rule, and I have no proposals to put forward in that sense.