§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of increasing the pensions of public service pensioners and retired Servicemen, respectively, who retired before 1965, to the rates payable to those who retired on 1st January, 1965.
§ Mr. MacDermotThe cost for retired Servicemen would be about £25 million a year; for the rest of the public services about £80 million a year.
§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of increasing the pensions of public service pensioners and retired Servicemen, respectively, who retired before 1956, to the rates payable to those who retired on 1st January, 1956.
§ Mr. MacDermotThe cost for retired Servicemen would be about £5 million a year if all pensions awarded before 1956 were brought up to 1956 levels and if those aged 60 or over were then awarded the pensions increase appropriate to 1956 retirements. If, following the pattern of the present Pensions (Increase) Acts, the concession were limited to those aged 60 or over, and they were brought up to the current levels appropriate to 1956 retirements, including pensions increase, the cost would be about £2 million a year. Exact figures for the rest of the public services are not known, but the cost on either assumption would be less than £1 million a year.