HC Deb 09 March 1948 vol 448 cc1001-3
39. Sir Frank Sanderson

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the estimate of the amount payable by persons with incomes of £1,000, £2,000, £5,000, £10,000, £20,000, £50,000 and £100,000 respectively, in Income Tax and Surtax, in the years 1913–14, 1938–39 and 1946–47.

Sir S. Cripps

I am sending the hon. Member a tabular statement of these amounts.

Sir F. Sanderson

Will the Chancellor of the Exchequer himself carefully peruse the figures?

Sir S. Cripps

I have done so.

Mr. Osborne

Can we have these figures circulated?

Sir S. Cripps

There are objections, I understand, to printing long tabular statements in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I could have a copy put in the Library.

Later:

Sir F. Sanderson

On a point of Order. May I ask, Mr. Speaker, whether, in view of the great interest taken in Question 39 and its importance to many people in the country, you will consider giving the necessary authority to have the reply printed in HANSARD?

Mr. Speaker

I imagine that the reply will be printed in HANSARD. I do not know what authority I have to give. I understand that there are some tables, but I do not know how long they are. It may be that they are too long for HANSARD.

Sir F. Sanderson

While appreciating that reply, Mr. Speaker, may I point out that the Chancellor said that a copy of the tabular statement would be placed in the Library, but would not be printed in HANSARD?

Mr. Speaker

We have had a tremendous abuse of HANSARD. Tables and tables of figures have been published, and one has had to put a limit on them. I do not know what the limit is in this case. I am quite prepared, so far as I can, to use my influence to see that something is done, but we have had in the past great abuses in the use of HANSARD, and one has had to put a stop to them.

Captain Crookshank

May I point out, Mr. Speaker, that the sum total cannot be more than 21 figures? That does not appear to me to be a very long table.

Mr. Speaker

I have not had an opportunity to see whether it is a very long table. I do not know what is in it, but probably this matter can be adjusted quite easily.

Sir F. Sanderson

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that he did not know how long the table would be. I leave it in your hands, Mr. Speaker, to decide whether the table should be printed or not.

Mr. Speaker

I think that it would be better to leave it in my hands, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer does not know how long it will be, I do not know, and no one seems to know.

Mr. Driberg

Can you say, Mr. Speaker, approximately how long you consider a reply can be without becoming an abuse of HANSARD, because there may be elaborate statistical tables which are not available in any other official publication, but which are of public interest?

Mr. Speaker

I cannot lay down a Ruling now as to how long an answer is to be. That is what I call a hypothetical question. There is a limit to the amount which can be printed in HANSARD, and there is also the question of time and paper. While one does not want to be unreasonable, I must point out that there have been pages and pages of replies, and I had to put my foot down in this matter quite a long time ago.

Following is the statement:

The following Table shows the Income Tax and Super Tax or Surtax (if any) payable on the Incomes in question.
Income lax and Super Tax or Surtax (if any).
Income. Income all earned income. Income all Investment income.
1013–14. 1938–39. 1946–47. 1913–14. 1938–39. 1946–47.
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Single Person. 1,000 38 167 318 58 222 374
2,000 75 414 757 117 497 824
5,000 292 1,576 2,619 292 1,658 2,687
10,000 758 4,134 6,544 758 4,216 6,612
20,000 1,592 10,046 15,819 1,592 10,128 15,887
50,000 4,092 29,571 45,069 4,092 29,654 45,137
100,000 8,258 63,946 93,819 8,258 64,028 93,887
Married Man with no children. 1,000 38 145 286 58 200 343
2,000 75 392 725 117 475 793
5,000 292 1,554 2,588 292 1,636 2,655
10,000 758 4,112 6,513 758 4,194 6,580
20,000 1,592 10,024 15,788 1,592 10,106 15,855
50,000 4,092 29,549 45,038 4,092 29,632 45,105
100,000 8,258 63,924 93,788 8,258 64,006 93,855
Married Man with two children. 1,000 38 112 242 58 167 298
2,000 75 359 680 117 442 748
5,000 292 1,521 2,543 292 1,604 2,610
10,000 758 4,078 6,468 758 4,161 6,535
20,000 1,592 9,991 15,743 1,592 10,074 15,810
50,000 4,092 29,516 44,993 4,092 29,598 45,060
100,000 8,258 63,891 93,743 8,258 63,974 93,810