MULHOLLAND QUIZZES GOVERNMENT ON DIRECTION OF PENSIONS REFORM AS SPLIT BETWEEN BLAIR AND BROWN WIDENS

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th May 2006

Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland used the first oral Parliamentary Question since the Local Elections and the Cabinet reshuffle to quiz the government on the direction of its pension's reform amid the chaos caused by the increasing power struggle between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr Mulholland, a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, asked that since the current Prime Minister seems to be in favour of the broad proposals of the Turner report and a reduction of means testing whereas the Chancellor does not, would we see a change in direction in the governments pension policy in the next few weeks!

Secretary of State John Hutton said we would have to wait and see.

Commenting Greg Mulholland's , "This is an example of the feud between Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street that is crippling Government. The current situation is now untenable and we need to know who is really in charge of the direction of Government policy.

"Whilst this situation continues, we still don't know whether the Government will be implementing the recommendations of the Pensions Commission and whether we will see a fair pension for all or more means testing which is so unpopular. It is time we got a clear steer on where pensions policy going, but alas, until the power struggle between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is finished, that is not going to happen."