§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a table comparing British standard rate retirement pensions with those paid in each of the nine EEC member States and in the USA and Sweden; and if she will link those rates to either the cost of living or wage levels in each of the above-mentioned countries.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe standard weekly rates of retirement pension in Britain, the Irish Republic and the Netherlands are respectively £7.75, £7.20 and £19.38. The other countries mentioned have earnings-related pension schemes. The British pension represents about 19 per cent. of average industrial male earnings as at October 1973. Corresponding earnings figures for the other two countries are not available. Meaningful comparisons of pension rates can, however, only be made if account is taken of varying social conditions, in particular differing standards of living, levels of taxation, and social security systems as a whole.