§ Mr. DunnachieTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase social security payments to levels equivalent to those paid by the countries in the northern zone of the European Community; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is given in the table.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThere are fundamental differences between the social security schemes of the EC countries so that rates for individuals may be higher or lower than in the United Kingdom—for example in earnings-related schemes low earners receive low benefits and high earners receive high benefits, while additions for dependants are not normally payable. There are no proposals for the alignment of these schemes—indeed alignment would mean increasing some benefits but also reducing or abolishing others, for example, family credit.