Pensions Bill

As a matter of policy, if the Government are not prepared to spend the money on it they should say so clearly. It is rather academic whether in practice it could be done if you are not prepared to spend the money on it. I sympathise with the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, and if he wishes to press that further in due course we will support him. This highlights the complications that are inevitable when one tries to draw a line that is exceptionally difficult to draw in an increasingly threadbare and broken down contribution system, which is, frankly, well past its sell-by date. Before I withdraw the amendment, will the Minister be a little more specific aboutthe cost? He quoted £150 million in 2008 and£150 million in 2009, and said that that would last well into the longer term. I think that the cost begins to run off fairly quickly through the teens; I wonder whether he could give us a little more information.