§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell), Official Report, 26 July, c. 380, he will estimate that part of the savings for 1980–81, 1981–82 and 1982–83 which has accrued from the ending of the link between pensions upratings and the rise in earnings; and how much this represents in weekly cash terms for the single and married retirement pension.
§ Mr. NewtonI have not been able to associate a link between pensions upratings and the rise in earnings with any of the replies covered by the reference to theOfficial Report mentioned in the hon. Member's question. It is assumed, however, that information is sought about the effect of uprating retirement pension on the basis of the movement in prices rather than the higher of prices or earnings. It is not possible to provide an estimate because it would be necessary to make hypothetical assumptions about what forecasts of earnings the Government would have made and what action would have been taken if they had turned out to be too high or too low.