§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much will each of (a) the single pension, (b) the married pension, (c) unemployment benefit, (d) child benefit and (e) long-term rate of supplementary benefit in 1985–86 and 1986–87 have to rise to keep pace with prices.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 26 February 1986, c. 612]: As my right hon. Friend made clear in his uprating statement to the House on Monday 24 February, at columns 680–81, the value of all the benefits listed will be increased in July 1986 by 1.1 per cent., in line with the increase in prices between May 1985 and January 1986. The benefit uprating in April 1987 will take account of inflation between January and September 1986. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer took the assumption in his autumn statement that price rises over that period would be 2.25 per cent, but the final inflation figure on which the April 1987 uprating will be based will not be know until October 1986.