§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the first £10 Christmas bonus was paid to pensioners; and how much would have to be paid in the current year to restore its original purchasing value.
§ Mr. OrmeThe first special bonus for pensioners was paid in December 1972. On the basis of the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices to October 1977, the latest date for which a figure is available, the amount which would have to be paid this year to restore the purchasing of the 1972 bonus is £21.