Pensions Bill

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, for this amendment on voluntary national insurance contributions. Of course, I register what was a very moving excerpt from the letter that the noble Lord, Lord Browne, received today. A number of noble Lords may remember the significant concession that the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, secured—or introduced —during the passage of the 2000 Act to smooth the cliff edge resulting from the reduction to 30 years of the number of qualifying years needed for the full basic state pension.