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Pension Inequality

22. Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton, North) (Lab): What steps she is taking to tackle pension inequality for women. [189165]

The Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (Jacqui Smith): We have introduced a raft of measures to help women in retirement and women of working age to build better pensions. Almost all the 2.5 million carers who have benefited from the state second pension are women, two thirds of those receiving pension credit are women, and the introduction of, and increase to, the national minimum wage disproportionately benefits women. We have also launched a publication on informed choices for working and savings, which will help to improve women's awareness of their financial position.

Ms Keeble: I very much welcome the measures that my hon. Friend outlines. Does she agree, however, that the real way to crack the pensions problem for women is to ensure that they have their own independent pension entitlement? Will she look, therefore, at ensuring that women who work all their working lives—perhaps only part time or with a career break to bring up a family—have better rights than they do now to their own independent state pension?

Jacqui Smith: My hon. Friend makes an important point about the position of women who have, perhaps, taken career breaks and have had caring responsibilities. That is, of course, why the state second pension, which provides benefits to women who are carers and not in paid employment, is so important. It is also why the extension of home responsibility protection, which the Government have already put in place, is crucial. As we make clear in the pensions Green Paper, the particular position of women with respect to pensions both deserves and is getting attention from the Government, as my hon. Friend says.

Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) (Con): I appreciate what the Minister says and that she is taking action for the future, but my concern is for the many thousands of women of pensionable age who did not have the opportunities during their working lives that our generation have had, with the effect that one in four women pensioners are living in poverty now. The measures in place are not helping. Only 12 per cent. of women, as opposed to 90 per cent. of men, are eligible for the full basic state pension now. It is a really sad situation for hundreds of thousands of women over 60 right now. What is the Minister going to do about it—now?

Jacqui Smith: I certainly share the hon. Lady's concern about those pensioners, very many of them
 
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women, who are living in poverty. I am slightly surprised at the emphasis that she places on it, however, not least because the action that this Government have taken to focus support on the poorest pensioners—whether or not it is through the minimum income guarantee, other improvements to pension provision, such as the introduction of the pension credit, free TV
 
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licences or a whole range of other provisions that the Government have made—has almost invariably been opposed by Opposition Members. We have made real our commitment to ensuring that those pensioners in poverty are our priority. I hope that the hon. Lady makes real her commitment in future and does not institute the sort of cuts that have been her party's policy up until now.

 
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Business of the House

12.32 pm

Mr. Speaker: Before I call the shadow Leader of the House to ask the business question, I want to make it clear that I do not intend to allow this question and answer session to be used for a discussion of yesterday's security incident. The serious questions arising from that incident will be discussed by the Joint Committee on Security and the House of Commons Commission when the House returns. Any Member who wishes to contribute to that discussion is welcome to speak to the Chairman of the Joint Committee, the Government deputy Chief Whip, or to write to me, but I do not want questions of security to be discussed publicly on the Floor of the House today, and certainly not on an occasion when we are supposed to be concerned with the House's future business.

Mr. Oliver Heald (North-East Hertfordshire) (Con): Will the Leader of the House please give us the business for after the conference break?

The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Peter Hain): The business for the week following the conference recess will be as follows:

Monday 11 October—Second Reading of the Mental Capacity Bill.

Tuesday 12 October—Second Reading of the Civil Partnership Bill [Lords].

Wednesday 13 October—Opposition Day [18th Allotted Day]. There will be a debate on an Opposition motion. Subject to be announced.

Thursday 14 October—Motion to take note of a European document relating to justice and home affairs work programme, followed by consideration of Lords amendments to the Horserace, Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill, followed by a debate on school sport on a motion for the Adjournment of the House.

Friday 15 October—Private Members Bills.

The provisional business for the following week will include:

Monday 18 October—Opposition Day [19th Allotted Day]. There will be a debate on an Opposition motion. Subject to be announced.

Tuesday 19 October—Remaining stages of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill [Lords].

Wednesday 20 October—Consideration of Lords amendments to the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Bill.

Thursday 21 October—A debate on defence in the world on a motion for the Adjournment of the House.

Friday 22 October—The House will not be sitting.

I should also like to inform the House that the business in Westminster Hall for Thursday 21 October will be a debate on the report from the Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on social cohesion.

Mr. Heald: I thank the Leader of the House for the business, especially the defence debate for which we have been calling.
 
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The Leader of the House will recall that at the beginning of July I raised with him concerns about the large number of late amendments being tabled by the Government at each stage of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill. Will he give an assurance that a further raft of substantial Government amendments will not be tabled during the recess, giving hon. Members precious little time to prepare for Report?

I understand that Adair Turner's interim report on pensions is expected in the first week back. Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that there is an oral statement and a full debate on that important topic?

The Leader of the House knows that the current law on gambling has disadvantages for charities. The draft Gambling Bill has been scrutinised by a Joint Committee. Is he able to tell us when the Government expect to present the full Bill to Parliament?

Will the right hon. Gentleman find time for a debate on the draft Regional Assemblies Bill before the ballot papers go out for the north-east referendum? Clearly, we should debate the details in order to inform the vote.

The Leader of the House will be aware of Mr. Speaker's concern about health and safety in the Palace and that many hon. Members are concerned about the House sitting at a time when major building works are under way. Has he had any advice on that aspect and is he able to comment on the implications for September sittings? While covering that ground, he might like to comment on whether he has made any progress on putting the Sessional Orders on to a statutory basis.

Mr. Hain: If I may, I shall answer the last point first as it deals with an important House matter. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising it. Walking around, I have been concerned about the health and security implications of our being in session and the House sitting while serious building work is being undertaken. That work is a matter for the House authorities, not for me. There are serious questions to be addressed and consultation will be required.

As the hon. Gentleman knows, because he is part of the process, we are in the final stages of a review of the sitting times of the House. September sittings will clearly be part of the decision on sitting times that the House will be invited to take early in the new year. I have had plenty of representations from hon. Members on both sides of the House that September sittings are not acceptable, especially in the present conditions. I have been advised by the House authorities that, so that important security work in the Chamber can be undertaken, next year's September sitting cannot take place. That will form part of the background to the decision that we as a House eventually reach in the context of a broader review of sitting hours.

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill is expected to return to the House next month. Obviously, I regret late Government amendments, but the hon. Gentleman will understand that they were largely technical. He will also understand how important it is to get this vital Bill absolutely right, given the number of deaths that occur: about 20 per cent. of all violent crime is committed in the home against women, and two women a week die as a result of violent crime. In addition, we have been responding to some of the suggestions made by his Back-Bench and Front-Bench colleagues.
 
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I shall take note of the hon. Gentleman's point on Adair Turner's pensions report. As for the Gambling Bill, I hope to be able to inform the House early next month about progress on the Bill. Pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Committee has been valuable, and there is broad support for the Bill across the House.

On the Regional Assemblies Bill, I cannot promise the hon. Gentleman a debate before the ballot. He will know that the issue has been widely discussed over the past 18 months or so. We had earlier authority for the referendum, and that is the basis on which we shall go ahead. He can always travel up to the north-east and join the campaign. No doubt he will campaign on behalf of the Conservative party against regional government for the north-east of England—[Hon. Members: "Hear, hear."] Just as that party campaigned against devolution in Wales, so they do not want to support the devolution of power to the regions of England, and the people in the regions understand that.

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