asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the cost of the state earnings-related pension scheme in 2034 as a percentage of gross domestic product.

There are no generally agreed forecasts of gross domestic product so far ahead into the future, but if its growth were assumed to be 2 per cent. between now and 2033–34, the cost of the state earnings-related pension scheme would rise to over 3 per cent. of gross domestic product in that year. This would be in addition to spending on the basic national insurance pension.