GOVERNMENT POLICY ON COMPULSORY RETIREMENT

Early day motion 747, tabled 24 February 2003 by David Laws (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 62 members.

That this House regrets that many Government departments, including the Ministry of Defence, still force employees into compulsory retirement at age 60 regardless of the employees' ability and willingness to continue working; notes that this practice directly contradicts the Government's own policy of allowing people to go on working up to and beyond the age of 65 if they so wish; considers therefore that the Government's existing treatment of such workers is unfair and ageist; and calls upon the Government to increase choice and flexibility in retirement, including by raising the public sector compulsory retirement age to 65 as an immediate first step, and ending age discrimination in the workplace, ahead of the EC Equal Treatment in Employment Directive which will force changes in UK law by 2006, by making compulsory ages of retirement, irrespective of ability or competence, illegal as soon as possible.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 36, Labour 17, Conservative 3, DUP 2, Labour/Co-operative 1, Plaid Cymru 1, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.