§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the basic state pension and the state earnings-related pension have fallen as a percentage of annual earnings since May 1979.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI have been asked to reply.
The full basic state pension, as a percentage of average earnings for male manual workers, was 22.5 per cent. in November1 1979 and in April 1988 the percentage was 20.5.
It is not possible to calculate corresponding precentages for the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme because it is not a fixed rate pension.
1The information given is for the date of uprating.