§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide a table illustrating the tariff rate of reduction of pensions according to the shortfall in contributory record; and if he will state the number of current pensioners who have less than a full pension 526W the corresponding figures for Scotland for the same years.
§ Mr. DeanThe services are now integrated and it is no longer possible to give a reliable apportionment of staff numbers.
The total number of staff employed in my Department and in Scotland in the past four years was as follows:—
at present by amounts of less than 50p, 50p to £1, £1 to £2, and more than £2, respectively.
§ Mr. DeanFollowing is the information:
TABLE 1 WEEKLY RATES OF RETIREMENT PENSION RELATED TO THE YEARLY AVERAGE Yearly average of contributions and credits Flat-rate retirement pension and widow's pension Flat-rate retirement pension for a wife on husband's insurance £ £ 50–52 6.75 4.15 48–49 6.48 4.00 46–47 6.21 3.85 43–45 5.94 3.67 40–42 5.45 3.41 37–39 4.94 3.15 34–36 4.43 2.81 30–33 3.91 2.46 26–29 3.38 2.08 22–25 2.88 1.74 18–21 2.36 1.43 13–17 1.89 1.20 Under 13 Nil Nil
TABLE 2 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CURRENT RETIREMENT PENSIONERS AND WIDOW PENSIONERS IN RECEIPT OF REDUCED PENSION BECAUSE OF DEFICIENT CONTRIBUTION RECORDS Amount of reduction below standard rate by Less than 50p Thousand 50p to £1 Thousand Retirement pensioners 105 118 Widow pensioners 6 6 Amount of reduction below standard rate by £1.01 to £2 Thousand More than £2 Thousand Retirement pensioners 97 155 Widow pensioners 6 7