§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the value, in real terms, by which retirement pension has been reduced since it was last raised.
Regional Health Authority Number of Authorised Pay Beds Number of Hospitals with Authorised Pay Beds Before 20th May 1977 After 20th May 1977 Before 20th May 1977 After 20th May 1977 Northern 169 117 49 44 Yorkshire 302 239 49 46 Trent 247 204 51 43 East Anglia 156 126 26 24 North West Thames 461 353 55 50 North East Thames 410 299 52 48 South East Thames 433 319 68 61 South West Thames 247 178 57 53 Wessex 187 146 44 44 Oxford 215 184 33 25 South Western 202 152 62 55 West Midlands 394 304 79 73 Mersey 164 126 38 34 North Western 336 272 51 51 London Postgraduate Boardsof Governors 227 194 11 11 England—Total 4,150 3,213 725 662 Scotland 234 184 51 46 Wales 60 47 23 23 Great Britain—Total 4,444 3,444 799 731 In 161 instances at the request of the authority concerned authorisation has been given on a group rather than on an individual hospital basis. It is a condition
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§ Mr. OrmeOn the basis of the movement of the General Index of Retail Prices, the retirement pension rates introduced in November 1976 had lost 5.7 per cent. of their real value by March 1977—the latest date for which a figure is available. This represents a decrease in real value of 87p a week in the standard rate payable to a single person and of £1.39 in the married couple's rate.