News In Brief

The Government has renewed its pledge to introduce pension splitting for divorcees by the target date of April 2000. The confirmation, in a parliamentary written reply by junior Social Security Minister Baroness Hollis of Heigham, comes after a warning last month from Tory former Social Security Minister Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish that the Government was running out of time to meet the target date.

Labour women MPs have won five of the six places available on the committee aimed at keeping strong links between the Government and party backbenchers. They are Jean Corston (Bristol East), Sylvia Heal (Halesowen and Rowley Regis), Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley), Llin Golding (Newcastle-under-Lyme) and Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands). The only man is Sunderland South's Chris Mullin.