A generous basic state pension is the least a civilized society should offer those who have worked hard and saved through their whole lives.

Everyone in our society has had to make a contribution towards dealing with the debts.

For example at the moment there is a compulsory requirement to buy an annuity. That is something we would get rid of. It puts some people off saving.

Our first benchmark is to cut the deficit more quickly to safeguard Britain’s credit rating. I know that we are taking a political gamble to set this up as a measure of success. Protecting the credit rating will not be easy The pace of fiscal consolidation will be co-ordinated with monetary policy. And we will protect Britain's credit rating and international reputation.

I think the British people have a strong sense of what is fair.

We support the auto-enrolment but we have our doubts about the way the National Pension Scheme is going to be structured.

I get a lot of letters from people.