To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of employees aged over 65 years whose employment was terminated before October 2006 by companies aiming to avoid the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. (98091)

We have no evidence that in the period before the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 came into force there was an increase in the number of older workers whose employment was terminated in anticipation of the legislation. Indeed, the labour force survey shows that job growth among employees aged 65 years or older has in recent years occurred at a much faster pace than for employees aged below 65.