HC Deb 23 January 2001 vol 361 cc506-7W
Mr. Swinney

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the rate of the basic state pension to the level of the minimum income guarantee in(a) the UK and (b) Scotland in each of the next five years. [146088]

Mr. Rooker

[holding answer 18 January 2001]The information is in the table.

The cost of increasing the level of the basic state pension to the level of the MIG from April 2001 for Great Britain, and for Scotland
£ billion
Great Britain Scotland
Cross Net Gross Net
2001–02 8.2 6.3 0.7 0.5
2002–03 8.6 6.7 0.8 0.6
2003–04 9.3 7.3 0.8 0.6
2004–05 10.2 8.1 0.9 0.7
2005–06 11.1 8.8 1 0.7

Notes:

  1. 1. Costs are given in £ billion to the nearest £0.1 billion in constant 2000–01 prices.
  2. 2. Gross costs are estimated by GAD.
  3. 3. Net costs are given after income related benefit savings as estimated by the Policy Simulation Model.
  4. 4. Costs for Northern Ireland are not included.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retired pensioners living in the Tooting constituency qualify for the minimum income guarantee. [146497]

Mr. Rooker

I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Knowsley, South (Mr. O'Hara) on 18 January 2001,Official Report, column 386W.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the minimum income guarantee take-up campaign will come to an end; and when the final results will be made public. [146350]

Mr. Rooker

We expect to have the results form the 2000 campaign in the spring.