§ 8. Mr. Finchasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total number of persons in the Risca district at present in receipt of retirement pensions, and the number who are having such pensions supplemented by National Assistance.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithStatistics relating to the numbers of retirement pensioners are not available for particular areas. I am informed by the National Assistance Board that the number of weekly Assistance grants is not available separately for the Risca district, as it is only part, of a much larger area, including the County Borough of Newport, served by the Board's Newport Office.
13. The Rev. LI. Williamsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of retirement pensioners who are now in receipt of National Assistance supplementation in the age groups 65 to 70, 70 to 75, and 80 and above.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterOf the 976,000 retirement pensioners receiving supplementary pensions in December last, about 213,000 were aged 65–69, 246,000 were aged 70–74 and 198,000 were aged 80 and over. Some of the payments provided for the requirements of a household with more than one pensioner.
14. The Rev. LI. Williamsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the percentage income drop for a retirement pensioner who has earned the equivalent of the national average for industrial workers and who at 65 years of age retires from his employment.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs the answer to this Question depends on the resources other than retirement pension available to the pensioner on retirement, and as detailed particulars of these are not available, the hon. Member sets me the impossible task of making a mathematical calculation based on unascertainable data.
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§ 28. Mr. Hannanasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the cost of raising the retirement pension by as much as would give to the present pensioner the same percentage increase over the pension of 1946 as had been obtained in average national adult male earnings over the period from 1946 to 1960.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterImmediately, about £110 million a year, and if other benefits were increased correspondingly, rather more than £160 million a year.
§ 40. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance by what amount the basic retirement pension has decreased in purchasing power since the date of the last increase.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterTenpence.
§ 41. Mr. Steeleasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of retirement pensioners in the Dumbarton area, the proportion in receipt of National Assistance supplementation, and the average amount of such supplementation.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithStatistics relating to the numbers of retirement pensioners are not available for particular areas, and it follows that it is not possible to state the percentage of pensions supplemented by National Assistance. I am informed by the National Assistance Board that information about the average amount of National Assistance grants is also not available for particular areas, but that on 29th March, 1960, 1,110 weekly grants were being paid to retirement pensioners in the area served by the Board's office in Dunbarton. Some of the grants provided for a household with more than one pensioner.
§ 50. Mr. McInnesasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what he estimates to be the cost of paying to retirement pensioners such sums as are necessary to ensure that the purchasing power the single retirement pension between 1947 and the end of 1957 was equivalent to £1 6s. in terms of 1946 prices.
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§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIt is not possible to give an accurate figure but it is estimated that very roughly the figure might be between £300 and £400 million. No allowance is made for such factors as deaths, amounts of National Assistance paid in suppplementation of pensions and the entitlement to pension at less than the standard rate.