§ 20. Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the population aged 55 years and over is expected to remain economically active during the course of the next 10 years; and what plans he has to combat discrimination on the grounds of age by employers.
§ Mr. NichollsMy Department's latest projections which are largely based on past trends, show the proportion of people aged 55 and over who are economically active remaining in the range of 22 per cent. to 24 per cent. over the next 10 years.
We are constantly emphasising to employers that age discrimination is not in their interests, particularly as numbers of young people decline.