HC Deb 08 March 1976 vol 907 cc104-5W
Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many men die each year between the ages of 60 and 64 years, inclusive; and how many and what percentage of such men are at work.

Mr. Meacher

In 1974, the latest date for which figures are available, the numbers of men in Great Britain who died between the ages of 60 and 64 were as follows:

Age No. of deaths
60 6,333
61 6,701
62 7,268
63 7,724
64 8,588

The numbers of men of those ages who worked in that year to an extent sufficient for national insurance contibutions to have had to be paid in respect of them were as follows:

Age Number of workers Percentage of men of that age
60 270,000 88.0
61 250,000 84.0
62 235,000 81.0
63 220,000 78.0
64 205,000 74.0

Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what percentage of men aged 65 years or above remain at work.

Mr. Meacher

In 1974 the number of men over 65 who worked to a sufficient extent for a national insurance contribution to have to be paid in respect of them was around 350,000, representing 12 per cent. of the males in that age group. These figures include self-employed men under 70 who were deferring their retirement but exclude those who had qualified for pension, about whom no information is available.