HC Deb 27 February 1997 vol 291 cc311-2W
Sir Andrew Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of(a) pensioners and (b) pensioners aged over 80 years had access to a (i) freezer, (ii) fridge, (iii) telephone, (iv) car, (v) washing machine, (vi) television, (vii) video and (viii) central heating in (1) 1979 and (2) the latest year for which figures are available. [17483]

Mr. Heald

The information is in the tables:

Percentages
All pensioners Pensioners aged over 80
Type of durable goods 1979 1993–94 1979 1993–94
Freezer or fridge freezer 32 81 20 68
Fridge or fridge freezer 88 99 79 98
Telephone 57 94 50 92
Car/Van 34 53 18 31
Washing machine 64 83 46 66
Video n/a 51 n/a 26
Central heating 46 81 43 76

Access to a Television
(percentages)
All pensioners Pensioners aged over 80
Type of durable goods 1979 1991–92 1979 1991–92
Television 96 99 92 98

  1. 1. Information in the tables is derived from the households below average income datasets, which is based on information from the family expenditure survey. The latest available estimates, for 1993–94, are for two financial years data combined. Figures for 1991–92 are for two calendar years combined.
  2. 2. From 1993 onwards, information on access to televisions has not been collected in the family expenditure survey, as reported access to televisions had reached almost 100 per cent. The latest figures for access to televisions are therefore for 1991–92.
  3. 3. For HBAI analyses of the possession of consumer durables, it is assumed that members of the same household share common facilities. The percentages given in the reply represent the proportion of individuals in pensioner benefit units with access to each of the specified consumer durables within their household.
    4. 312
  4. 4. In HBAI, a single pensioner benefit unit is defined as a single adult of state pension age or above (65 for men, 60 for women). A pensioner couple benefit unit is one in which the man of the benefit unit is aged 65 or over. For the purpose of the over 80 years analysis, the same definition applies, except the age threshold is over 80.
  5. 5. Information on access to video recorders was not reported in the 1979 family expenditure survey.
  6. 6. All estimates are subject to sampling error.