§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would have been the additional cost if all pensioners, irrespective of the amount of their basic pension, had received the full £1 increase rather than the proportionately reduced increase; and by how much this sum would have been offset by reduced supplementary allowance payments and by income tax payments.
§ Mr. DeanIt would have cost approximately £7 million a year to increase all retirement pensions by the maximum amount. The cost of supplementary pensions would have been reduced by about £3 million a year, but a reliable estimate cannot be made of the income tax payable on the extra retirement pension.