HC Deb 15 May 2000 vol 350 c48W
Mr. Stevenson

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his oral statement of 21 March 2000,Official Report, column 867, if the increases in the basic state pension forecast will be the minimum applied irrespective of the retail price index for September 2000. [120604]

Mr. Rooker

I have been asked to reply.

As our right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his budget statement on 21 March: Based on forecast rates of inflation, we can expect the pension rise in 2001 to be more than £2 for single pensioners and over £3 for couples—[Official Report, 21 March 2000; Vol. 346, c. 867.]

Our right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is required to review rates of benefit annually, the outcome of that review will be announced in the Autumn as normal.