Pensions and Welfare Reform

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:22 pm on 13 October 2004.

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Photo of Mr Alan Howarth Mr Alan Howarth Labour, Newport East 1:22, 13 October 2004

My right hon. Friend has just discussed the plans of Mr. Willetts to finance his policy, but my right hon. Friend did not mention that, in abolishing the new deal, the hon. Gentleman would of course abolish the new deal for lone parents. Is the hon. Gentleman not planning to discriminate against women three times over? He would freeze the guarantee element of pension credit, which mainly benefits women; he would concentrate the resources on the basic state pension, from which all too many women do not benefit; and he would fund the increase in the basic state pension by abolishing the new deal for lone parents, which is the policy that helps women into work and to build entitlement to a pension.