§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will give the cash level of benefits in November 1979 and April 1991, and the real-terms change in the value using the change in the retail price index or Rossi index, as appropriate, between November 1979 and September 1990, using November 1979 as 100 for (i) retirement pension, (ii) unemployment benefit, (iii) sickness benefit, (iv) industrial disablement benefit, (v) industrial death benefit, (vi) maternity allowance, (vii) war disablement pension, (viii) war widows pension, (ix) attendance allowance, (x) invalid care allowance, (xi) severe disablement allowance, (xii) child benefit for first and second and subsequent children separately and (xiii) one parent benefit giving, where appropriate, the single and couple and higher and lower rate separately;
(2) if he will give the cash level of benefits in November 1979 and April 1991, and the real-terms change in the value using the change in the index for average gross weekly earnings, all full-time workers on adult rates in all industries and services, excluding those whose pay was affected by absence between November 1979 and September 1990, using November 1979 as 100 for (i) retirement pension, (ii) unemployment benefit, (iii) sickness benefit, (iv) industrial disablement benefit, (v) industrial death benefit, (vi) maternity allowance, (vii) war disablement pension, (viii) war widows pension, (ix) attendance allowance, (x) invalid care allowance, (xi) severe disablement allowance, (xii) child benefit for first and second and subsequent children separately and (xiii) one parent benefit giving, where appropriate, the single and couple and higher and lower rate separately.
§ Miss WiddecombeIt is not yet possible to calculate the "real-terms" change in the value of benefits that are due for payment in April 1991, and it would not be meaningful to make calculations to average benefit rates over a particular period on the basis of movements in prices over a different period. Nor is it meaningful to calculate a "real-terms change" by reference to an index of earnings.