§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many letters and other communications has his Department received concerning the announcement that the self-employed will not be participating in the Government's earnings-related pension scheme.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Department has not kept a record of the number of such letters and other communications received. However, about 500 applications have been sent to me requesting a partial refund of Class 4 national insurance contributions for 1975–76 and 1976–77 on the grounds that the self-employed will not be eligible for earnings-related pension benefits. As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Madden) on 23rd March, any such application is wholly misconceived.—[Vol. 946, c.720–21.]
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps will be taken to draw the public's attention to errors in the pamphlet entitled "New Pensions—a More Secure Future".
424W
§ Mr. OrmeThe leaflet "New Pensions—A More Secure Future" (NP 34) is only a short guide to the main points of the new pension scheme.
I am not aware of any factual errors in the leaflet that need to be drawn to the public's attention.
Criticism of its contents has related to matters of presentation and if any points need clarification this can be done when the leaflet is reprinted.