asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time taken to process an application for a retirement pension at the Newcastle computer centre; what steps are to be taken to improve this; and if he will make a statement.

Claims to retirement pension are normally invited four months before a person reaches minimum pension age. Initial action is taken in the local office, which usually forwards the claim to Newcastle following the adjudication officer's decision. The average time taken to process the claim from the local office is normally five working days.As a result of the recent industrial action, double the normal intake of new claims is currently being received in Newcastle each week so the processing time may be longer than usual. However, local offices make emergency payments of retirement pension if an award is delayed at any stage. The position is expected to be back to normal by mid-June.If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind in which the processing time has given rise to difficulty perhaps he would write to me and I will look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to reply to the question from the hon. Member for Walsall, North about state retirement pensions which was tabled for answer on 25 February.

I have today answered the hon. Member's question.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the likely sum that would be paid to (a) those on average income, (b) those on three quarters average income and (c) those on half average income, assuming the current level of annual increases in earnings and prices as the state earnings-related pension scheme to those who have remained contracted-in since the scheme started in 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2010, respectively.

[pursuant to his reply, 25 February 1985, c. 72]: The table shows the amount of additional component which would be payable in addition to the basic pension (currently £35·80 per week) to a person contracted-in to the state earnings-related pension scheme since its inception in 1978. The figures are expressed in constant 1984–85 earnings levels.