20 June 2011
Alok Sharma condemns criticisms of the Bill when the previous Government’s Pensions Commission reported in 2005 that the pension age should go up, and the Pensions Act of 2007 legislated to increase it for men and women.
Alok Sharma (Reading West) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend not think that the criticisms from the Opposition are rather rich? In September 2004, the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Alan Johnson), told the TUC:
“This Government will not raise the state pension age”,
yet Labour’s Pensions Commission reported in 2005 that the pension age should go up, and in the Pensions Act 2007 the Labour party legislated to increase it for men and women.
Mr Duncan Smith: Indeed; I welcome that comment from my hon. Friend.
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Alok Sharma (Reading West) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend not think that the criticisms from the Opposition are rather rich? In September 2004, the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Alan Johnson), told the TUC:
“This Government will not raise the state pension age”,
yet Labour’s Pensions Commission reported in 2005 that the pension age should go up, and in the Pensions Act 2007 the Labour party legislated to increase it for men and women.
Mr Duncan Smith: Indeed; I welcome that comment from my hon. Friend.
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