Earnings-Related Social Security

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 6 March 1969.

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Photo of Mr John Boyd-Carpenter Mr John Boyd-Carpenter , Kingston upon Thames 12:00, 6 March 1969

I am glad to have the opportunity of following the right hon. Lady the Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) because, as I think she knows, I have always very much admired the humanity and sensitivity with which she carried out her duties as Minister of Pensions and National Insurance.

I am glad, indeed, that the right hon. Lady stressed the work which she did in seeking further to break down the resistance of people who were entitled to supplementary benefit to apply for it. I think that the humanising of the administration of that, the last and perhaps most vital of social services, was a proper approach, for which the House is indebted to her.

Despite the excellence of the speeches today—and, if I may say so, I think that my noble Friend the Member for Hertford (Lord Balniel) made a remarkable contribution—the debate and, indeed, the White Paper has an atmosphere of un-reality. No doubt if this Parliament goes on there may be a Bill next Session, but everybody knows that when the time laid down in the White Paper for the operation of the Measure comes about, April 1972, it will not be the right hon. Gentleman who will be responsible for operating this, if it is to be operated. The House knows, as the country knows, that it will be my right hon. Friends who will have the responsibility for dealing with these matters.