Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Murray Excerpts

Monday 11th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Steve Webb]

If that were all we had done, no of course it would not be. Many of the Government’s anti-fraud authorities, including, among others, the Serious Fraud Office, are working with us. One of the challenges is that the money is sometimes transferred overseas, where we have less jurisdiction. However, what we need is trustees not to be transferring money—authorising the transfer of money—out into suspicious pension funds. So trustees have a part to play, as do scheme members.

[Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) (Lab)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the effects of the Government’s proposal for a single-tier pension on women born between 6 April 1952 and 6 July 1953.

[Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the effects of the Government’s proposal for a single-tier pension on women born between 6 April 1952 and 6 July 1953.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

The Minister is a man of formidable intellect and therefore I hesitate ordinarily to disagree with him, but I think that the grouping is with Questions 6, 7 and 16. I hope he does not mind.

[Ian Murray]

The Minister may have a formidable intellect but I am going to disagree with him. As he will know, half a million women born between 1952 and 1953, many of whom will have celebrated mother’s day yesterday, will lose out on this single-tier pension. Will he apologise to the 700 women in my constituency who are affected and have written to me? Will he do something before they lose out?

[Steve Webb]

I take your correction on the question numbers, Mr Speaker.

I think that the hon. Gentleman should apologise to the 700 women in his constituency, as he seems to be asking us to treat them the same as a man born on the same day—that appears to be the essence of his problem. If we did that, those women would have to wait up to three years longer for their pension, and they would not thank him for that.