§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the weekly increases in State retirement pensions needed in the event of Great Britain joining the European Economic Community, so as to ensure that retired pensioners would be able to pay the increased cost in food and other prices.
§ Sir K. JosephIt would be premature to attempt any such estimate.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated percentage of the State retirement pension spent each week on heating and lighting.
§ Mr. DeanA small sub-sample of the Family Expenditure Survey indicates that for those households where at least three-quarters of the total income is derived from national insurance retirement or similar pension and/or supplementary pension, the cost of fuel, lighting and power for one-person pensioner house-214W holds accounts for about 16 per cent. of their total expenditure and for two-person pensioner households about 12½ per cent. It is estimated that about one-third of retirement pensioner households fall within this category.