§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total difference (in current prices) between (a) the cumulative cost of the single pension paid to an individual since April 1979 to date, and (b) the cumulative cost of the single pension paid had the link between the rise in earnings and the rise in the pension been sustained: and what are the comparable figures for the married couples pensions.
§ Miss Widdecombe[pursuant to her reply, 18 May 1992, columns 22–28]: The following information was incorrect:
The cumulative difference in cost had pensions been uprated by the higher of earnings or prices from April 1980 to date would be £7,690 million.The corrected version is:
The cumulative difference in cost had pensions been uprated by the higher of earnings or prices from April 1980 to date would be £43,136 million.In the original reply the cost for one year (1992–93) was given instead of the cumulative cost as requested.