§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the value of war pensions as a percentage of net average earnings for each year since 1946;
(2) if he will update the information on war pensions given to the hon. Member for Walsall, South, Official Report, 5th May 1975, columns 349–50.
§ Mr. OrmeThe following table gives the information requested:
WAR DISABLEMENT PENSION AND WAR WIDOWS PENSION AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS AND NET AVERAGE EARNINGS Per cent Ex-Private 100 per cent. pension as a percentage of War Widows pension as a percentage of Year (October)* Net earnings Gross earnings Net earnings Gross earnings 1946 45.2 37.3 35.1 29.0 1947 42.8 35.1 33.3 27.3 1948 38.7 32.6 30.1 25.4 1949 37.6 31.6 29.2 24.5 1950 34.9 29.9 27.1 23.3 1951 32.3 27.1 25.1 21.1 1952 36.0 30.8 27.5 23.5 1953 33.7 29.1 25.7 22.2 1954 31.5 26.9 24.1 20.5 1955 35.9 30.3 28.0 23.5 1956 33.9 28.4 26.4 22.1 1957 32.4 26.8 25.2 20.9 1958 40.6 33.1 31.5 25.7 1969 38.1 31.4 29.6 24.4 1960 35.9 29.2 27.9 22.7 1961 40.0 31.8 31.2 24.8 1962 38.9 30.7 30.3 24.0 1963 43.7 34.3 34.2 26.9 1964 41.0 31 .8 32.1 24.8 1965 45.3 34.5 35.4 26.8 1966 44.3 33.3 34.4 25.9 1967 47.9 35.6 36.9 27.4 1968 44.9 33.0 34.6 25.4 1969 46.2 33.8 35.8 26.2 1970 42.0 29.9 32.5 23.3 1971 45.1 32.3 35.2 25.2 1972 42.6 31.3 33.4 24.6 1973 43.1 31.3 34.0 24.7 1974 48.8 33.7 38.7 26.7 1975 54.5 36.6 43.0 28.9 1976 56.0 37.3 44.4 29.6 1977† 56.8 39.0 45.1 31.0 Notes: 1. Gross average earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industries and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries, as published by the Department of Employment. 2. Gross earnings less tax and national insurance contributions. * Benefit rates used for 1969, 1975, 1976 and 1977 are those for November. †Provisional.