Insurance: Gender Discrimination

Baroness Howe of Idlicote Excerpts

Tuesday 8th March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the noble Lord raises a question that I posed to civil servants. The response I received was that any insurance sold in the EU, whether or not it is from outside the EU, will be applicable under these rules.

[Baroness Howe of Idlicote]

My Lords, I have some sympathy with the predicament of the noble Baroness, but perhaps she would tell the House whether the Government, if they had the choice, would support the payment of equal annuities to men and women who have earned an equal financial entitlement to them, rather than continuing with the existing system in which a woman gets considerably less just because her average life expectancy is a few months more.

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the noble Baroness raises very important questions. However, the responses to these questions are for the industry to make.