§ 42. Dr. Kingasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what the basic retirement pension was as a percentage of the average industrial earnings in 1946, 1950, 1955 and 1956.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Dr. KingWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the old-age pensioner has a just claim to share in the increasing standard of living as we move
| — | Average Weekly earnings* | Retirement Pension | Single rate pension as percentage of all earnings | Married rate pension as percentage of men's earnings | |||||||
| All workers | Men only | Single Rate | Married Rate | ||||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | Per cent. | Per cent. | ||
| 1946—January | … | 92 | 7 | 114 | 1 | †10 | 0 | †20 | 0 | 10.8 | 17.5 |
| October | … | 101 | 0 | 120 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 25.7 | 34.8 |
| 1950—April | … | 124 | 1 | 145 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 21.0 | 28.8 |
| October | … | 128 | 0 | 150 | 5 | 26 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 20.3 | 27.9 |
| 1955—April | … | 182 | 3 | 217 | 5 | 40 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 21.9 | 29.9 |
| October | … | 187 | 2 | 222 | 11 | 40 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 21.4 | 29.2 |
| 1956—April‡ | … | 197 | 9 | 235 | 4 | 40 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 20.2 | 27.6 |
| *Average weekly earnings of manual wage earners employed in manufacturing industries generally and in a number of the principal non-manufacturing industries, as published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette. | |||||||||||
| † Old Age Pension. | |||||||||||
| ‡ Latest date for which figures are available. |