§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Lord President of the Council whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures giving the minimum basic pension paid to former Members of the House of Commons under the Members' 404W Contributory Pension Fund as at October, 1964, and on the basis of the £ sterling then having a purchasing value of 20 shillings; and what, at six-monthly intervals to date, was this pension worth in purchasing value taking account of the depreciation of the purchasing value of the £ sterling.
§ Mr. WhitelawYes.
The minimum basic pension paid to former Members of the House of Commons as at October, 1964, was £600 per annum. The purchasing values of this amount since that date are as follows:
£ April 1965 … … … 576 October 1965 … … … 574 April 1966 … … … 560 October 1966 … … … 553 April 1967 … … … 544 October 1967 … … … 543 April 1968 … … … 521 October 1968 … … … 515 April 1969 … … … 494 October 1969 … … … 489 April 1970 … … … 473 October 1970 … … … 460 March 1971 … … … 441