§ Mr. Chichester-Clarkasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what is the value in real terms of the retirement pension to the latest convenient date, compared with the value in real terms at the date of the list increase in March, 1965;
(2) what would be the cost of restoring the value in real terms of the retirement pension to the value in real terms at the date of the last increase.
§ Mr. PentlandThe retirement pensions of 80s. for a single person and 130s. for a couple are, at current prices, worth, respectively, 3s. 1d. and 5s. less than when they were introduced in March, 1965. The cost to the National Insurance Fund of raising retirement pensions
274W1966, in the Gateshead employment area and the northern region, respectively; what were the comparable figures for the year 1964; what percentage the total figures for each year represent of the total insured population, what was the percentage decrease between 1966 and 1964; what was the number of unfilled vacancies at the latest convenient date in Gateshead and in the northern region; and what was the comparable figure of unfilled vacancies in 1964.
§ Mr. ThorntonThe following tables give the information:
by these amounts (with no changes in other benefits) would be of the order of £50 million a year.