§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the effect of the proposal to break the statutory link between long-term benefits and average earnings on the estimates in public expenditure in social security made in the 1979 public expenditure White Paper for the years 1980–81 to 1982–83 at 1978 survey prices; and what are the estimated expected savings at current prices.
§ Mr. Prentice[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1979, c. 309–311]: The entry at the foot of table 2.12 of the public expenditure White Paper—Cmnd. 7439—gives a broad indication of the allowance for up-rating improvements over the average 1978–79 benefit levels based on a working assumption on the growth of real earnings as explained in paragraph 11 on page 152. Any updating of the figures must await publication of the next White Paper.