§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer if the pensions payable to British citizens now living abroad were indexed for the cost of living in the same way as if these people had remained living in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HagueThe estimated additional cost of paying fully indexed benefits to all state retirement and widow pensioners living abroad is £275 million a year. Separate figures are not available on the cost of indexing benefits only for those who are British citizens.
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