§ 32. Mr. Prenticeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will introduce a system of sweet coupons for retirement pensioners to enable them to buy sweets at pre-Budget prices.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. PrenticeDoes the Minister appreciate that most of us on this side would prefer to see a really adequate 23 pension rather than devices like tobacco and sweet coupons, but, so long as the pension is so low, does he not recognise that he has an obligation to do something about the loss to pensioners who have to balance their budgets down to the last penny and who often rely on a modest bag of sweets as about the only pleasure in life that they can afford?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI share the hon. Gentleman's dislike of benefits in kind. On the other hand, one must put this in proportion. The pensioner households survey indicates that the pensioner household's consumption of sweets is about 7½d. worth a week, and the tax is at the level of 15 per cent.
§ Mr. LiptonHas the Minister come to the conclusion that his retirement pensioners will benefit more from the impending Surtax concession than they will suffer from the extra they will have to pay for sweets?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThey will certainly benefit very considerably from my right hon. and learned Friend's firm front against inflation.
§ Mr. LawsonSince the Ministry puts no reliance on sampling techniques, why does the right hon. Gentleman rely on a sampling technique to find out how old-age pensioners spend their money on foodstuffs? Is he aware that only 1,200 people were sampled out of about 5 million or 6 million old-age pensioners?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe surveys conducted by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour are carried out completely objectively and with professional skill and expertise. They are very different from the one the hon. Gentleman was seeking to rely on last week.