§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in 1991–92 of raising the single pension by £5 a week and the married pension by £8 a week above current levels(a) assuming a similar increase in income-related benefits and (b) net of income-related benefits, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe net additional cost of increasing the basic retirement pension in this way for pensioners in Great Britain would be(a) around £2.5 billion with a corresponding increase in income-related benefits and (b) around £1.6 billion with no such corresponding increase. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.