asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what moneys have been spent on bringing index-linked retirement bonds to the attention of retired pensioners; when an explanatory leaflet concerning these bonds was last circulated with the pension book; and what would be the present cost of such an exercise.

£940,000 has been spent on promoting this issue of certificates. In the early part of 1978 the Department for National Savings printed 12 million copies of a general leaflet on safeguarding money for issue to pensioners at post offices as they draw their pensions. This leaflet included a reference to retirement issue national savings certificates. The cost of a distribution of retirement issue certificate leaflets to pensioners at post offices today is estimated to be £140,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current value of a £100 index-linked retirement bond purchased at the time of original issue; and what would be the value of such a bond purchased on 1 January of each subsequent year.

The current value of £100 retirement issue national savings certificates purchased when they were first introduced June 1975 is £180·64. The value this month of a £100 certificate purchased on each of the following dates would be: