asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements are made to protect the pension rights and social security benefits of those in prison.

A person undergoing a period of imprisonment has the right to pay such number of class 3—voluntary—contributions as is necessary to safeguard entitlement to basic pension. These contributions, which count also for the purposes of maternity grant, child's special allowance and death grant, may be paid at any time before the end of the sixth income tax year following that in which a period of imprisonment of six months or more comes to an end.