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Mr. Shepherd
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many married couples and how many single persons currently draw retirement pension.
Mr. Deakins
I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, in November 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 8,440,000 retirement pensioners. This total was made up as follows:
| Men | 3,000,000 |
| Women, including married women and widows, entitled to retirement pension on their own contributions | 1,920,000 |
| Wives entitled to retirement pension on their husbands' contributions | 1,734,000 |
| Widows entitled to retirement pension on their husbands' contributions | 1,786,000 |