§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would need to be the increase in the current year's review of the State retirement pension of (a) a married couple and (b) a single person to cover the increase in inflation that has taken place since the announcement of the last increase was made by the then Secretary of State for the Social Services in 1979.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe standard rates of basic retirement pension for a single person and a married couple which were introduced in November 1979, took full account of inflation as measured by the movement in the general index of retail prices over the 12 months from November 1978, when pensions had previously been increased, to November 1979. This included the increase in prices since June 1979, when the new rates of pension were announced. The increase in prices since November 1979 will be taken fully into account when deciding the increase in the rates of retirement pensions which will take effect from next November.