§ 17. Mr. CranTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by what amount spending by his Department on pensions and related benefits is forecast to increase in real terms in 1989 over 1988.
§ Mr. ScottThe details of expenditure published in the Department's chapter of the 1989 public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 615) show that real terms spending on pensions and other benefits for the elderly is planned to be 483W over £500 million higher in 1989–90 than in the current year. In addition, we announced last November a package of help to poorer, older pensioners from October 1989 worth nearly £100 million in 1989–90 and almost £200 million in a full year.
These increases mean that social security expenditure on the elderly is forecast to rise by 2.7 per cent. in real terms between 1988–89 and 1989–90, at a time when the number of pensioners will rise by less than one half of one per cent.