§ Sir J. Edenasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the number of retired people of 70 years and over; how many of these are currently in receipt of some form of supplementary pension; what would be the estimated cost of increasing their supplements by 10s. a week and by £1 per week; and what would be the cost of making similar increases for all retirement pensioners of 70 years and over.
§ Mr. WoodThere are about 3½ million retirement pensioners over 70. To increase their pensions by 10s. or £1 a week—or by the appropriate lesser amount for a wife with a pension on her husband's insurance—would cost the National Insurance Fund about £84 million or £168 million a year respectively. The only supplementary pensions about which information is available are those paid by the National Assistance Board. There are rather more than three-quarters of a million of these in payment to retirement pensioner households whose head is aged 70 or over. To increase them by 10s. or £1 a week, with appropriate additions for married couples where the wife was a pensioner over 70, would cost over £21 million or over £42 million a year respectively.
§ Mr. Bostonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people in the Faversham constituency are in receipt of the retirement pension.
§ Mrs. ThatcherI regret that statistics relating to the numbers of retirement pensioners are not available for particular areas.