§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria he used in determining the level by which social security benefits are uprated.
§ Mr. ScottI refer the hon. Member to section 63 of the Social Security Act 1986. In common with our predecessors, we choose to measure movements in prices by means of the retail prices index. We shall continue to exercise our discretion over the uprating of benefits for which there is no statutory requirement to uprate.