§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what have been the savings to his Department in each year since 1980 in constant prices of ending the link between state retirement pensions and average earnings. [16781]
§ Mr. HealdThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
203W
Year Extra gross cost (£ billion) 1980–81 0.2 1981–82 0.6 1982–83 1.0 1983–84 0.9 1984–85 1.8 1985–86 2.0 1986–87 3.1 1987–88 4.5 1988–89 5.5 1989–90 6.2 1990–91 6.9 1991–92 7.3 1992–93 8.5 1993–94 9.2 1994–95 9.2 1995–96 9.9 1996–97 10.1 1997–98 10.9 Notes:
1. The table shows the extra costs to the national insurance fund that would have arisen from uprating contributory basic retirement pension by the higher of earnings or prices in each year since 1980–81
2. Gross costs are in 1997–98 prices, rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion. The estimates cover contributory basic retirement pension only and do not include any linked benefits or other benefits paid to pople over pension age.
Costs net of any income-related benefits are not available.
Source:
Cash estimates were provided by the Government Actuary's Department and uprated to 1997–98 prices.