§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an assurance that the retirement pension will be adjusted in November if the rate of inflation exceeds the inflation estimate on which the pension rise has been based.
§ Mr. OrmeI am confident that the increases proposed for next November will raise pensions and other benefits to their highest ever value in real terms.
§ Mr. Bidwellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value since 1973, on a monthly basis, 47W of both the single and married couples' national State retirement pension in money and in real terms; what was the decline in the value of the £ sterling in
Retirement Pension Single Person Married Couple Date Actual rate Equivalent value of October 1973 rate Actual rate Equivalent value of October 1973 rate Decline of the £ sterling October 1973=£1 General Index of Retail Prices October 1973=100 £ £ £ £ £ 1973— October … 7.75 7.75 12.50 12.50 1.00 100.0 November … 7.81 12.59 0.99 100.8 December … 7.87 12.69 0.99 101.5 1974— January … 8.02 12.93 0.97 103.5 February … 8.16 13.15 0.95 105.2 March … 8.23 13.27 0.94 106.1 April … 8.51 13.72 0.91 109.8 May … 8.63 13.91 0.90 111.3 June … 8.72 14.06 0.89 112.5 July … 10.00 8.80 16.00 14.19 0.88 113.5 August … 8.80 14.20 0.88 113.6 September … 8.90 14.35 0.87 114.8 October … 9.08 14.64 0.85 117.1 November … 9.24 14.90 0.84 119.2 December … 9.37 15.12 0.83 120.9 1975— January … 9.61 15.50 0.81 124.0 February … 9.77 15.76 0.79 126.1 March … 9.97 16.07 0.78 128.6 April … 11.60 10.35 18.50 16.69 0.75 133.6 May … 10.78 17.39 0.72 139.1 June … 10.99 17.73 0.71 141.8 July … 11.10 17.91 0.70 143.3 August … 11.17 18.01 0.69 144.1 September … 11.26 18.17 0.69 145.4 October … 11.42 18.43 0.68 147.4 November … 13.30 11.56 21.20 18.65 0.67 149.2 December … 11.71 18.88 0.66 151.0 1976— January … 11.86 19.13 0.65 153.0 February … 12.01 19.37 0.65 155.0 March … 12.07 19.47 0.64 155.8