NEWSLETTER 2: WINTER 2002

PAGE 2

"Ministers refuse to act on pensions"

In a debate in the House of Lords on married women's pensions on 15 October 2002, Lady Hollis, the junior pensions minister, said that the Government had no plans to review the impact on women of paying the reduced national insurance stamp.

She said:  "Most women who took the reduced married women's stamp saved thousands of pounds—something like £18,000 for someone on mean average earnings over that time. If such a sum had been invested, it would have produced an alternative return.

Click here to read the exchange in full.

Click here to see how it was reported in the Telegraph (you may need to register with the Telegraph website to view this article).

Come on, own up... which one of you made the £18,000?

DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND?  Write to: Lady Hollis, Junior Pensions Minister, House of Lords, London SW1A 0AA.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

The Minister for Women, Patricia Hewitt, says that the literature on the Married Woman’s National Insurance Contribution was published in 1966 was CRYSTAL CLEAR.  It is funny but I thought that the MWNIC started in 1948 when it certainly was not clear.  In fact in 1973 Ms Hewitt wrote a booklet called “Your Rights” because Government literature was hard to understand.  Strange how Ministerial positions can cause selective memory.

Why not make your experiences on this subject Crystal Clear to her at the following address:

Ms Patricia Hewitt MP, Minister for Women, House of Commons WESTMINSTER, London SW1A 0AA.

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Many of you have asked what an EDM is: an "Early Day Motion", or EDM, is the term used to describe notices of motions given by MPs that are not generally expected to be debated.   Effectively, the tabling of an EDM is a device to draw attention to an issue, and to elicit support for it by the means of inviting other MP’s to add their signatures to the motion.  EDMs can often attract a great deal of publicity, and many people regard them as a gauge of opinion.  IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, CHASE YOUR MP TO SIGN IT—Remember it is now EDM 131.

<NB: THIS EDM FINALLY CLOSED IN NOV 2003 WITH OVER 200 SIGNATURES BY MPs. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT.>

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My husband and I have almost finished a booklet, which, we hope, will contain everything we wish to say, backed up by excerpts from your letters. The booklet will be circulated to MPs, Trade Unions and the Media. Some of you have given permission to use your letters, it would help if when you write you could state whether you have any objections to using part of your letters to further our campaign. Of course you would only be identified as e.g. "Mrs J: Hants".  Unfortunately, to cover costs, we will have to charge £1.50 to cover printing and postage if you would like a copy.  MW

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