National Insurance Fund

HC Deb 11 November 2003 vol 413 cc172-3W

Paul Flynn

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of the Treasury supplement to the National Insurance Fund for the current year if it were paid at the rate specified in section 1(5) of the Social Security Act 1973; and what proportion of the total cost of the basic pension this would be. [132275]

Dawn Primarolo

The rate of Treasury supplement varied each year. The rate that applied when it was abolished in 1988–89 was 5 per cent. On this basis, Treasury supplement (if it still applied) would be £3.4 billion in 2003–04.