HL Deb 31 July 1985 vol 467 cc334-5WA
Lord Stallard

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have given further consideration to the indexation of retirement pensions payable to United Kindom citizens now resident in Canada and what is their latest estimate of the cost of such indexation.

Baroness Trumpington

Payment of United Kingdom pensions at full United Kingdom rates to pensioners in Canada must await the availability of the necessary financial resourses. The latest estimate is that the full annual cost of such a measure would be about £35 million. The department will be revising this estimate to take account of the higher rates of benefit to come into force in November.