§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures showing the rates of child benefit plus the long-term national insurance child additions, at current and at 1979 prices, in April of each year since 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonComparison of values at dates other than upratings can be misleading and unhelpful. The figures given in the table show the levels of child benefit and longterm benefits child addition at the November uprating dates since 1979. The values at those dates are given, as requested, at April 1979 and October 1985 prices. Child benefit was increased to £7 a week and the long-term child addition to £8–05 from 25 November 1985, but the retail price index for that date will not be known until later in the year.
Department from changing the uprating date for the basic retirement pension from November 1986 to July 1986 and April 1987.
Mr. Newton: On the assumption in the Chancellor's autumn statement that the movement in prices over the 209W eight months to January 1986 would be of the order of 1Rer cent., the July 1986 uprating will add some £110 million to benefit expenditure on the basic retirement pension by the end of the financial year 1986–87. An estimate of expenditure had the uprating taken place in November instead will not be available until the retail prices index for May 1986 is published.