§ 23. Mr. Dickensasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the percentage of total personal income distributed as wages and salaries, mixed income and property in 1966.
§ Mr. MacDermotAs the reply contains a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DickensCan my hon. and learned Friend confirm that social inequality is in fact on the increase in this country, and has been so for the past decade or more? Is he aware that many hon. Members on this side of the House want to see the trend reversed in the course of the lifetime of this Parliament?
§ Mr. MacDermotI can assure my hon. Friend that it has been reversed. I refer him to figures which I gave in the Budget debate. Compared with the previous year, in 1966, National Insurance benefits went up by 8½ per cent., wages and salaries by 6 per cent., income of self-employed was unchanged, while rents, dividends and interest went up by 2½ per cent.
§ Mr. HigginsWhat percentage went to members of unions covered by the T.U.C.?
§ Mr. MacDermotI am sure the hon. Member does not think that I have that figure in my head.
Following is the information:292The percentages of total personal income in 1966 attributable to each of the main types of income are shown in the table below. The table also shows the corresponding percentages for 1965, which have been revised since they were given in reply to a similar question by my hon. Friend on 17th May, 1966.
| PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME BEFORE TAX | ||
| 1965 | 1966 | |
| Wages and salaries | 63.4 | 63.7 |
| Forces' pay | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Employers' contributions to national insurance etc. and to pension funds | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| Income from self-employment* | 8.3 | 7.9 |
| Rent, dividends and interest | 12.0 | 11.7 |
| Social security benefits, etc. | 9.1 | 9.4 |
| 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| * Before providing for depreciation and stock appreciation. |