Oral Answers to Questions — National Insurance – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 October 1947.
Mr Peter Freeman
, Newport (Monmouthshire/Gwent)
12:00,
28 October 1947
asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware of the anomaly by which a person earning more than 10s. 6d. a week when in receipt of a supplementary pension loses part of it; and whether, as this prevents a large number of people who would otherwise engage in industry from doing so, and, in view of the serious shortage of labour, he will consider its Amendment.
Mr James Griffiths
, Llanelly
Supplementary pensions can be paid only to those who can establish need for them and it would be contrary to this basic requirement to disregard the whole of a pensioner's earnings. The statutory Regulations provide that the first 1os. 6d. a week of such earnings shall be disregarded. A pensioner who takes up employment must, therefore, always be better off to this extent at least. I would add that two-thirds of supplementary pensioners are 70 years old or over and a high proportion are infirm.
Mr Sidney Shephard
, Newark
asked the Minister of National Insurance if, in view of the urgency of encouraging as many people to work as possible, he will consider waiving the present restriction on Old Age Pensioners whereby they are prejudiced in their pension rights if they accept other than casual work.
Mr James Griffiths
, Llanelly
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on this subject to the hon. Member for North Dorset (Mr. Byers) on 12th August, of which I am sending him a copy.
Mr Sidney Shephard
, Newark
Is the Minister aware that by his discrimination he is discouraging people from working? Surely at a time like this we want all the available labour that is possible. Is it not time that he reconsidered his decision?
Mr James Griffiths
, Llanelly
The new pensions scheme is designed to allow people to stay at work, and indeed to increase their income by so doing. During the three months July, August and September, of those who reached pensionable age, 69 per cent. of the men and 59 per cent. of the women declared their intention to stay at work.
Mr. Baldwin:
Does not the Minister think that the old age pension should be doubled?
Mr James Griffiths
, Llanelly
We discussed these matters very fully. We have designed the scheme to protect pensioners against reduction of wages by mean employers.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
