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Pensions Bill

The hon. Lady is right to remind me that there was a series of different scenarios. Indeed, someone—it may have been the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central—pointed out that the beginning of the next Parliament is a fairly movable feast. At one time it looked as though it might have happened by now, but that was not to be. I am not saying that the Government are bad people, or that pension credit is a bad thing. I am sure that pension credit has helped many people, but, equally, there are many people whom it has not reached and will never reach, and whom it should be reaching. The only reliable way of getting help to those who need it most is to boost the basic state pension. Apart from being the right thing to do, as we concluded before the last election and as the Government have obviously concluded, it is the best way of getting help to people who do not want to fill up forms and who do not think that they are entitled to it. Take-up of some means-tested benefits has actually been falling. Council tax benefit is an example. Many ladies in my constituency—widows—do not apply for it, believing that because they own their homes they could not possibly be entitled to it, although for that reason they are living in a kind of genteel poverty. We all agree that this should happen, and we all agree about the parameters of the time scale, but why will the Government not narrow the time scale and tell us now rather than later, especially at a time when pensioner poverty is a political priority for everyone? I intend to ask leave of the House to withdraw new clause 7, but I am still keen to support new clause 16, tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central and others, and urge my colleagues to do the same. I very much hope that the hon. Gentleman will press his new clause to a Division at the appropriate time in our deliberations. If he does not, I have every intention of trying to catch your eye to do so myself, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion. Motion and clause, by leave, withdrawn.