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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Hughes quizzes Webb on pensions
April 6, 2011 5:16 PM
• [Apr 04] Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Liberal Democrat): MY hon. Friend the Pensions Minister has not only introduced the link between pensions and earnings, for which pensioners have been calling for years, but now makes a clear bid to be the most popular Pensions Minister for decades, in announcing the option of the citizens pension for which he and I have campaigned for ever. It is clearly fairer, simpler and particularly helpful to women and the self-employed. I urge my hon. Friend to be as bold and reforming as he suggests option 2 would allow. I urge him to go fully through the consultation process, but when midsummer's day arrives-the last day of the consultation-I urge him to go for the single tier state pension so that this Government's legacy for pensioners will be as radical in this century as the legacy of Lloyd George and Beveridge was for pensioners in the last.
Steve Webb (Minister of State (Pensions), Work and Pensions; Thornbury and Yate, Liberal Democrat): My right hon. Friend puts me on the spot, but I am glad to respond positively. I have noted his comments down as being the first response to my consultation, making it 1-0 for the single-tier option-I will keep score as we go. He is right that the restoration of the earnings link after 30 years of breaking it is an historic event, although it has been rather overshadowed by other events in the world. We think someone retiring this year will, over the years, get an extra £15,000 in basic state pension through the restoration of the link. That is a real firm foundation for today's pensioners as well as reform for tomorrow's. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend in respect of the liberal heritage and to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Chancellor for their encouragement for the proposal to move forward.
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