§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation for a common retiring age of 60 years for men and women; and if, as a preliminary to this, he will extend the job retirement scheme to the age of 62 years for men operating up to May 1979.
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§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe question of pensionable ages for men and women in the National Insurance Scheme is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, but I understand that he has no proposals to reduce the pensionable age for men to 60 because of the very high cost, details of which were given in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 23 July 1980.—[Vol. 989, c.202–10.]
My right hon. Friend has no plans to reduce the age of eligibility under the job release scheme to 62 years for non-disabled men. Job release is already available to disabled men from the age of 60.