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Pensions Bill

I am delighted by all this close interest in our next election manifesto. When the time comes, the hon. Lady and hon. Gentleman will be among the first to know. I, however, am talking about this Government and the Turner package. The more we read and reread the final report of the Pensions Commission—one has nothing better to do, I suppose—the more it is clear that all these things hang together, including, as I said earlier, increasing the state pension age. One can see the arguments for that in isolation. However, these matters were not proposed in isolation. They formed a carefully organised package of measures, including restoring the state pension's link with average earnings. What makes it easier for Ministers is that we have already legislated on the issue. The great thing about this job is that another pensions Bill is always just around the corner. Section 5 of the Pensions Act 2007 sets out the mechanism to restore the link and how that could be calculated. No further legislation is required and no Government time in the House need be allocated. That being the case, why have the Government been so coy about making the announcement? One has to wonder whether they propose to go into the next election campaign without making it. To follow up the point made by the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey), whatever may or may not be in our manifesto, I have a sneaking suspicion that, one way or the other, the issue will be in the Government's next election manifesto. Given that pensioner poverty is on the front pages and an issue in our advice surgeries and mail bags to such an extent—because of the other issues crowding in on the already stretched budgets of pensioners—why do the Government not say something now? That is the point of new clauses 7 and 16, which are almost identical in what they are trying to achieve. Help the Aged's briefing on the debate says:"““Help the Aged therefore supports the amendments brought forward by Kate Hoey MP to bring forward the planned date of relinking pensions to earnings.””" There is no credit for us, but there we are. There is a general feeling that the issue needs to be tackled, and tackled soon so that people at least know where they stand. The National Pensioners Convention has made the point that, sadly, some 3 million pensioners will have passed away by 2015. Even if the Government are not going to restore the link tomorrow or the day after, giving people the certainty of knowing when they intend to do it would be welcome.