§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the current basic retirement pensions, for single persons and married couples, paid in each of the following countries in terms of £ sterling at purchasing power parities: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany, and the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RossiThe most recent information available to me of the value in pounds sterling of retirement pensions in these countries was given in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley)—[Vol. 32, c.281]—or is contained in the Department's publication "Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the Member States of the European Communities (Position at 1 January 1982)", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. many of these countries calculate pensions entitlement wholly or partially in terms of pre-retirement earnings which makes comparison difficult. Furthermore, the series of purchasing power parities developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development does not include Finland, Norway, Sweden or Switzerland. I regret it is not possible to provide information in the form sought by the hon. Member.