Pensions Reform

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for reminding us that the Conservative party’s policy at the general election was to pay for the restoration of the earnings link by scrapping the new deal, thereby making it harder for younger people to get jobs. That is not the right way to build a sustainable affordable package for long-term pensions reform. That is why we have eschewed that approach. My hon. Friend is right to talk about the need for consensus building. Now that the proposals have been made, and we have broadly received a welcome from the Opposition parties, which we very much appreciate, Ministers have a responsibility, which we would be happy to undertake with the Opposition parties, to take the message around the country about the importance of the reforms and how good they will be for pensioners in the long term. I look forward to the support of the two Opposition Front-Bench spokesmen in doing so.