§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what she estimates will be the total cost of pensions during the year 1976 for men and for women, respectively.
§ Mr. MeacherThe estimated cost in 1976–77 of retirement pension payments to men, assuming current benefit rates, is £2,120 million. The corresponding cost in respect of women is £3,290 million.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much she estimates that it costs per month to provide for the average male and the average female pensioner, respectively, taking into account both pension and social security benefits.
§ Mr. MeacherThe average cost of retirement pensions at present rates for men is £59.80 per month, compared to £51.30 per month for women. No recent information is available at this stage to enable an estimate to be made as to the allocation of supplementary pension payments between men and women, but the average values of payments of supplementary pension to beneficiaries over288W pension age, as at December 1975, is provisionally estimated at £24.05 a month.