§ 54. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has in mind to remove the injustice to retirement pensioners as a result of the increased cost of food in the last two years, which has nullified the 2s. 6d. increase in the basic pension granted in the 1952 Budget.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe cost of food has risen only by about 2 per cent. since retirement pensions were raised in 1952. As this increase in the retirement pension varied between 28.6 per cent. and 8 per cent. according to the age and married status of the pensioner, I do not agree that it has been nullified by so small a variation in food prices.