Up-Rating Of The State Retirement Pension For British Expatriate Pensioners

EDM number 516 in 1999-00, proposed by Peter Bottomley on 13/03/2000.

That this House welcomes the Third Report of the Social Security Select Committee into the Uprating of State Retirement Pensions Payable to People Resident Abroad (HC 143 of Session 1996-97); expresses its grave concern at the discrimination practised by successive British Governments against 450,000 British state pensioners living in certain countries abroad; believes that the denial of pension increases to persons who have paid national insurance contributions is indefensible particularly as it affects less than 4 per cent. of the total number of British pensioners at home and abroad and also because the National Insurance Fund is now showing a surplus exceeding 5.9 billion pounds; and calls on the Government to agree to the principal recommendation of the Select Committee by providing a day for a debate in Government time on the report.

This motion has been signed by a total of 126 MPs.