asked the Taoiseach if he will state the pre-war purchasing power on the basis of the value of the £ sterling as at the 1st August, 1939, of the current rates of benefit under the Social Welfare Act at 50/- per week for a man, wife and two children, 36/-perweek for a man and wife and 24/-per week for a single person.

It is not possible to state the values of the current rates of benefit in question in terms of August, 1939, prices, since cost-of-index numbers appropriate to the classes concerned are not available. From the official general index numbers it is estimated that £1 in mid-August, 1953, would have purchased the same quantity of goods and services as at 8/8 in mid-August, 1939.