§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the value of the pension upratings to be introduced in April 1991; and what would be the value of the pension upratings needed in April 1991 in order to bring pensions up to the same level as if pensions had been increased from their 1979 level each year in line with the rise in average earnings or the retail prices index whichever was the higher.
§ Miss WiddecombeIn April the basic retirement pension will rise by £5.10 for a single person and by £8.15 for a married couple. To bring the same pension up to the level that would have been paid had it been uprated by the higher of earnings or prices would require an extra £12.80 and £20.50 respectively, on top of the actual increases. The extra cost of such a measure would be in excess of £5.7 billion per annum and would cost an additional £7.90 in national insurance contributions for an employee on average earnings and his employer.