asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimates he has made of the decline in the value of death grant since death grant was first introduced; and what is its real value, allowing for inflation since that date.

Between July 1949, when it was first introduced, and January 1977, the death grant has declined in value by about 71 per cent. The purchasing power of the present £30 grant would, in 1949, have been represented by a payment of £5 13s.