§ 17. Mr. KnapmanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect upon elderly taxpayers of the change to independent taxation of husband and wife.
§ Mr. Norman LamontOver 80 per cent. of the 1.1 million elderly married couples paying tax under the present system will have less tax to pay under independent taxation, and 160,000 elderly couples will be taken out of tax altogether.
§ Mr. KnapmanI am obliged to my right hon. Friend for that reply. Can he confirm that elderly wives will get age allowance in their own right for the first time?
§ Mr. LamontMy hon. Friend is right. That is one of the aspects of independent taxation that makes it very valuable to elderly people.