§ 7. Mr. H. A. Priceasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the average weekly earnings of men in employment in October, 1951; and, assuming the average man to be married and in receipt of a family allowance for one of his two children, what his net weekly income would have been after deducting Income Tax at the rate then ruling; and what are the comparable figures for October, 1954.
§ Mr. MaudlingThe average weekly earnings of adult male workers in manufacturing and certain other industries were £8 6s. in October, 1951, and £10 4s. 5d. in October. 1954. For a married man with two children the corresponding net weekly incomes, including family allowance and after deduction of Income Tax, would have been £8 10s. Od. and £10 10s. 5d., respectively.
§ Mr. PriceDo not these figures prove beyond possibility of argument that, despite the rise in the cost-of-living index during that period, in the end the average man was above £1 per week better off?