Mr. Peter Bottomlcyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the level of the single and married couples retirement pension at 1980 values for the last 25 years.
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§ Mr. PrenticeIt is customary to compare the value of benefits as at uprating dates. For information on the value of retirement pensions at uprating dates since July 1948, at November 1979 prices, I refer my hon. Friend to table 5.1 of the Department of Health and Social Security'sAbstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions, dated May 1980, a copy of which is in the Library.