§ 88. Mr. McKayasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the amount paid to retired pensioners for the year ended 31st March, 1956 ; and what percentage it was of the national domestic income for the same period.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterFigures for the financial year ending 31st March, 1956, are not yet available, but it is estimated that expenditure on retirement pensions by the National Insurance Fund in the calendar year 1955 was about £409 millions, and that this was 2.59 per cent. of total personal income in the United Kingdom.
89. Miss Leeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the present cost of increasing retirement pensions from the present rate of £2 a week, to £3 a week.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout £220 million a year. This would increase in
102Whas been the increase in maternity benefits since 1948 and in widows' total benefits, including family allowances, since 1948 for widows with one child, two children, and three children, separately, up to the present date.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe following is the information :
the course of the next 25 years to £370 million a year.
90. Miss Leeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance by how much the present retirement pension of £2 a week would have to be raised in order to have the same purchasing power as the 26s. a week pension had in 1946.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterOn the basis of the retail prices index, 9d.
§ 95. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to what extent the present retirement pension would have to be increased to grant recipients a 60 per cent. increase, as has recently been the case with Her Majesty's judges ; and whether he will take the necessary action to increase retirement pensions by this percentage.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI am not aware of any recent increases in the pensions of Her Majesty's judges such as the hon. Member appears to have in mind.
103W
§ 96. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to what extent the present retirement pension of £2 per week would have to be increased to enable retired persons to receive the same percentage increase in their retirement pensions as that received by the average worker in industry, using, as the basis, the increase in wage rates quoted by the Ministry of Labour for male and female adult workers, since the date when retirement pensions were last increased.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout 3s. 6d.
§ 99. Mr. McKayasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what has been the approximate percentage rise in the pensions of those for whom his Department is responsible who retired in 1946 ; and in which categories those still working had to pay extra contributions to meet the increased pensions for those who retired in 1946.
§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter55 per cent. There has been no addition to contributions specifically to pay for increases in the pensions of those who retired in 1946.
Mr. Lewis askedthe Minister of Pensions and National Insurance by how much the present retirement pension has fallen in purchasing power since the date of the last increase, taking the £ as having a spending value of 20s. at that date ; and what action he proposes to take to restore the purchasing power of retirement pensions.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe present pension has fallen in purchasing power by 2s. 6d. for a single person since April, 1955.
In reply to the second part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) on 23rd October.