§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost in 1976–77 of exempting from income tax the national insurance retirement and widow's pensions.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 6th April 1976; Vol. 909, c. 312–13], gave the following information:
About £500 million, taking into account the new pension rates operating from November 1976 and the conditional, as well as the unconditional, Budget proposals.