§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to 1982–83 the information on the cost of tax reliefs at actual and constant prices provided in his reply of 14 January 1981 to the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson) Official Report, c. 546.
§ Mr. Ridley[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1982, c. 16]. Information for 1981–82 and 1982–83 was given in my reply on 23 April 1982 to the hon. Member for Barking (Miss Richardson). The estimates at constant prices and some of the estimates at current prices for 1982–83 have since been revised to take account of more recent information, as follows:
§ Mr. Ridley[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1982, Vol. 31, c. 16]. The information for 1982–83, calulated on the same basis as in previous answers is as follows:
North, Official Report, 27 October, c. 411, he will publish in the Official Report a table comparing quarterly changes in the retail price index and the pensioner price index for 1981 and 1982.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyne[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1982, c. 16]: The information requested is shown below.
111W
Percentage increase on previous quarter in: one-person pensioner households price index two-person pensioner households price index General Index of Retail Prices (excluding housing) 1981 First Quarter 3.0 3.1 2.8 1981 Second Quarter 3.1 3.6 3.8 1981 Third Quarter 1.7 1.8 1.8 1981 Fourth Quarter 2.5 2.5 1.9 1982 First Quarter 3.2 2.9 1.9 1982 Second Quarter 2.6 2.4 2.9 1982 Third Quarter 0.2 0.1 0.5 The pensioner price indices exclude housing because of the difficulty of obtaining reliable information on pensioners' housing costs. The quarterly change in the retail price index excluding housing is shown in the table above for comparison.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the pensioner price index on a monthly basis in future; and if he will examine the possibility of introducing more sensitive and regular indices of changes in the pensioner's cost of living.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyne[pursuant to his reply, 8 November 1982,c. 16]: Over short periods it is unlikely that differences in the movement of pensioners' indices and the retail price index would be very great. The quarterly indices should provide an adequate guide to important differences.
The indices have been constructed following the recommendations made by the cost of living advisory committee to provide the best possible indication of pensioners' cost of living. The weights in the indices are derived from the same family expenditure survey as those for the retail price index. They are updated each year.
The pensioners' price indices exclude the cost of housing. The majority of pensioners covered by these indices receive Government assistance to help cover their housing costs. There is no reliable information on the actual changes in housing costs experienced by pensioners.