To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the average level of state pension, the cost per head of the total population and the proportion of total Government expenditure required for state pensions for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Italy, (d) the Netherlands, (e) Singapore, (f) Japan, (g) Australia and (h) New Zealand. [11524]

Comparable information on state pensions is not available in the format requested and could he provided only at disproportionate cost.Information on retirement pensions in EU member states is contained in the "MISSOC" tables, "Social Protection in the Member States of the Community". published by the European Commission, and in the Eurostat publication "Digest of statistics on social protection in Europe Volume 1: Old Age." Information on old-age pensions in Australia may be found in comparative tables of social security schemes, published by the Council of Europe. Information about state pensions in Japan and New Zealand and old-age benefits in Singapore are in "Social Security Programs Throughout the World", published by Social Security Administration, USA.Copies of the publications referred to above are in the Library.

£ per week
	Basic rates of retirement pension		Value of RP at April 1975 prices		Rate of RP if uprated by earnings since November 1979
	Single	Couple	Single	Couple	Single	Couple
April 1975	11.6	18.50	11.60	18.50	—	—
November 1975	13.30	21.20	11.91	18.98	—	—
November 1976	15.30	24.50	11.91	19.08	—	—
November 1977	17.50	28.00	12.06	19.29	—	—
November 1978	19.50	31.20	12.43	19.89	—	—
November 1979	23.30	37.30	12.65	20.26	23.30	37.30
November 1980	27.15	43.45	12.79	20.46	27.60	44.20
November 1981	29.60	47.35	12.45	19.92	30.75	49.25
November 1982	32.85	52.55	13.01	20.80	33.35	53.40
November 1983	34.05	54.50	12.86	20.58	36.25	58.05
November 1984	35.80	57.30	12.88	20.62	38.05	60.95
November 1985	38.30	61.30	13.07	20.91	41.35	66.25
July 1986	38.70	61.95	12.99	20.79	43.15	69.15
April 1987	39.50	63.25	12.70	20.33	45.55	73.00
April 1988	41.15	65.90	12.73	20.38	49.10	78.70
April 1989	43.60	69.80	12.48	19.98	53.45	85.70
April 1990	46.90	75.10	12.27	19.65	58.65	94.05
April 1991	52.00	83.25	12.79	20.47	64.20	102.95
April 1992	54.15	86.70	12.77	20.44	69.25	111.05
April 1993	56.10	89.80	13.06	20.90	72.65	116.50
April 1994	57.60	92.10	13.07	20.90	74.75	119.85
April 1995	58.85	94.10	12.93	20.67	77.75	124.65
April 1996	61 15	97.75	—	—	80.25	128.65

1. The values of RP uprated by earnings have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence.2. The retail price index (all items), and the average earnings index (Whole economy unadjusted) as published by the central statistical office.3. It is not yet possible to provide a figure for the April 1996 RP rates at 1975 levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the average level of pension expectation for holders of SERPS since 1978 in cash terms and at 1978 prices. [11547]

The amount of additional pension depends on the number of years a person has contributed to SERPS and their earnings in each year. The table shows entitlement to additional pension for men on average male earnings and women on average female earnings who have contributed to SERPS in each year since 1978–79 and who reached pension age in the year shown in the left-hand column.

Additional Pension for a person on average earnings since 1978–79
£ per week
	At award		At 1995–96 prices		At November 1978 prices
Pension age reached in:	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
1991–92	42.30	25.30	47.40	28.40	16.30	9.80
1992–93	49.80	29.90	53.70	32.20	18.50	11.10
1993–94	56.90	34.50	59.20	35.90	20.40	12.40
1994–95	63.70	38.90	65.10	39.70	22.40	13.70
1995–96	69.70	42.80	69.70	42.80	24.00	14.80

All figures are rounded to the nearest ten pence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the cash level of the state pension for each year since 1975 and its value in 1975 prices; and if he will estimate the value since 1980 if the rate had been linked to earnings. [11525]

The available information is in the table.