§ Mr. Aitkenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate
RETIREMENT PENSION FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND A MARRIED COUPLE AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS* AND NET† AVERAGE EARNINGS Single Person Married Couple Date Gross Earnings Per cent. Net Earnings Per cent. Gross Earnings Per cent. Net Earnings Per cent. October 1973 … … 18.9 26.1 30.5 40.7 August 1977‡ … … 21.3 30.9 34.1 46.4 November 1977§ … … 24.4 35.4 39.0 53.0 * Estimates made by the Department of Health and Social Security based on the average gross weekly earnings of male adult, full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries as determined by the Department of Employment's October inquiry and the Monthly Index of Average Earnings. † Gross earnings less tax and national insurance contributions. ‡Pension rates introduced in November 1976 as a percentage of the provisional earnings figures for August 1977, the latest date for which figures are available. § Pension rates introduced in November 1977 as a percentage of the provisional earnings figures for August 1977, the latest date for which figures are available.