HC Deb 07 February 1989 vol 146 c626W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to collect statistically reliable estimates of pensioners' income.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

We believe that the statistics that we collect are reliable. I refer the hon. Member to an article published in the May 1987 issue of theEmployment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library, which sets out the statistical basis of the pensioners' income figures used by the Department. We will be publishing an updated version of that article in the near future.