§ Mr. Emeryasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what total amount annually has had to be provided through taxation above the level of contributions made by individual national insurance payments in order to meet the present level of retirement pension, for the years 1974–75 and 1977–78; and what amount is estimated for the present year.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe contribution from the Consolidated Fund is fixed under the Social Security Act as 18 per cent. of the national insurance contributions paid into the fund.
No specific income source is related to a particular benefit and no part of the supplement from the Consolidated Fund is specifically in respect of retirement pensions. Payments from the Consolidated Fund have been:
£ million 1974–75 847 1975–76 1,133 1976–77 1,387 1977–78 1,537 1978–79 1,976 (provisional) 1979–80 2,306 (estimated)