To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be (a) the extra cost of increasing the state pension to £110 per week for a single person arid £220 per week for a couple expressed as (i) total national cost and (ii) per contributor and (b) the corresponding reduction in the cost of housing benefit payments and income support payments if the pension figures in (a) were introduced.

The extra cost to the national insurance fund of increasing the basic state retirement pension to £110 per week and £220 for a married couple in 1991–92 would be £30·4 billion. The corresponding reduction in the combined cost of income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit would be £3·1 billionThe combined extra weekly cost of this change in national insurance contributions for a man on average earnings and his employer would be £39·50 per week.