Business of the House

Baroness Keeley Excerpts

Thursday 28th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

My hon. Friend has been pushing hard on this issue and I understand his concern. It is clearly not acceptable for Network Rail to provide inadequate notice of, and not to make adequate arrangements for, such a closure. However, I know from my constituency experience that if level crossings become antiquated and fail, the disruption can be equally bad. My hon. Friend makes his point succinctly, and while the work clearly needs to done, it should be managed properly, and Network Rail should give due notice when it does the right thing by local people.

[Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab)]

Will the Leader of the House arrange to help the Prime Minister and Ministers with responsibility for pensions with a briefing on EU directives and the equalisation of the state pension age? The Prime Minister and the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), who covers pensions, have insisted that their policy of equalising the state pension age was necessary to meet the UK’s obligations under EU law, but that is not true. A 1997 directive laid down only the principle of equal treatment; the determination of state pension age is the sovereign right of member states. Some EU states maintain a difference, while others are not equalising until 2044, and long transitional arrangements are allowed. Will the Leader of the House convey that information to his colleagues, who do not seem to understand the situation?

[Chris Grayling]

My colleagues have simply pointed out the obligation to pursue a strategy of equality. It is absolutely logical to have the same retirement age for men and women in a nation that believes in equality.