§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the foreign countries in which the highest number of retirement pensions are paid by the Northern Ireland Office, the numbers of pensioners involved and the average ages of pensioners per country, specifying if pensions are or are not uprated. [10446]
§ Mr. HealdThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table. The pensions of former Northern Ireland residents living outside the United Kingdom are paid by the pensions and overseas benefits directorate of the Benefits Agency. Figures are available only for the United Kingdom as a whole. It is not possible to identify the Northern Ireland cases separately.
Country Total number of United Kingdom retirement and widow pensioners in July 1996 Average age of Pensioners pensioners uprated? Australia 189,520 73 No Canada 129,512 72 No USA 94,910 71 Yes Republic of Ireland 78,128 72 Yes South Africa 33,927 73 No New Zealand 32,789 74 No Spain 30,870 71 Yes Italy 21,981 70 Yes Germany 21,373 70 Yes Jamaica 20,946 72 Yes