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Pensions Bill

I, too, rise to support my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins), who spoke in moderate and reasonable terms. I only wish that I could be as moderate and reasonable, but I feel passionately about this matter, and I believe that it is time that we put our house in order on pensions. The point has been made that many of today's pensioners will die before the link is restored, even if it is restored in 2012, although according to the qualifications even that is not definite. It could happen at the end of the next Parliament—we all hope that Labour will be returned to power—and that could be as late as 2015. Also, as my hon. Friend said, if the link is restored later, the plateau at which it is restored will be lower, so more people will have been drawn into means-tested components of the pension, which is unacceptable. The earlier the link is restored, the higher that plateau will be.