Oral Answers to Questions

Luciana Berger Excerpts

Thursday 27th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Lynne Featherstone]

I can assure my hon. Friend that the advertising industry is more than well aware both of her work and of the Government’s intention to work with interested partners on this issue. I am sure that Members of all parties recognise that it is a real issue for girls, women and young men in this country.

[Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab/Co-op)]

7. What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect on women of changes to the state pension age.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Steve Webb)]

I wrote to and met the Equality and Human Rights Commission during the Government’s review of the increase in state pension age to 66 to ensure that equality issues were fully considered. A full equality impact assessment was also published as part of the Government’s White Paper, which sets out the effect on women of changes to the state pension age.

[Luciana Berger]

Will the Minister please update the House on the coalition agreement, which committed to make no change to the state pension age for women before 2020?

[Steve Webb]

The hon. Lady is not accurately quoting the coalition agreement. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor made it clear before the election that the pension age would not be 66 for men before 2016 or for women before 2020, and we have kept to that.