§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Lord President of the Council on what grounds a former hon. Member can draw his parliamentary retirement pension before he is aged 65 years, where he has no declared illness and is still in full-time paid employment; and how many former hon. Members are in receipt of such pensions.
§ Mr. BiffenA former Member who is ineligible for an ill-health pension and is aged between 60 and 65 may apply for an actuarially reduced early pension. A Member who leaves the House on a dissolution, aged 62 or more and with 25 or more years' service, is entitled to an immediate pension which is not subject to actuarial reduction. I understand that, since the introduction of these arrangements, six former Members have taken actuarially reduced pensions before age 65 and two have received unreduced early pensions on a dissolution. Only one is at present still under 65 and in receipt of an actuarially reduced pension.