§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what the old-age pension would be worth on each of the dates when it was increased, on the basis that the first pension of 5s. per week on 1st January, 1909, had a purchasing value of that amount, after allowing for the depreciation of the purchasing value of the £; and what is the relative value of the pension at the latest stated date on this basis.
§ Miss PittI presume that the reference is to the non-contributory old-age pension which has always been subject to a test of means. Following is the information asked for:
Date Maximum rate of pension 1909 equivalent s. d. s. d. 1st January, 1909 5 0 5 0 10th August, 1917 7 6 4 0 2nd January, 1920 10 0 4 3 4th October, 1946 26 0 12 2 January, 1957 26 0 7 7 No official price indices are available for the years before 1914, so that unofficial estimates of price changes have had to be used in the calculations as regards the period 1909 to 1914.