Retirement Age (Hansard, 13 June 2003)

§ Mr. MacDougall
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to abolish mandatory retirement ages. [114612]

§ Mr. Waterson
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to raise the retirement age to 70. [114839]

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
There is no state retirement age, only a state pension age. This is the date from which a person can receive state pension, regardless of whether they have retired or remain in work. We have no plans to change that.
The Government are working on implementing the European Employment Directive (2000/78), under which compulsory retirement ages are likely to be unlawful unless employers can show they are objectively justified. By summer 2003, the Government will consult widely, including with business, on proposals around this and other aspects of implementing age discrimination legislation.