§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will now take action to increase war pensions;
(2) whether he will now take action to increase unemployment and sickness benefits under the welfare schemes.
§ Mr. DeanDetails of the Government's proposals for increasing these benefits were published in the White Paper "The 1972 Review of Social Security Benefits and Associated Charges" (Cmnd. 4958). Legislation is at present before the House and the other necessary instruments will shortly be laid.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in future public announcements of proposed increases in the gross income of retirement pensioners, and those on welfare payments, he will indicate the minimum net increase in money incomes after tax and the minimum net increase in real income after tax and an adjustment for the rise in the cost of living, since the date when the previous level of income was fixed, in all cases for a married man with and without two children.
§ Mr. DeanNo. Such figures would not be meaningful since most retirement pensioners do not pay income tax and the operative date for the increases is necessarily some time later than the date of announcement.