§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the annual percentage increase in real net income from October 1964 to October 1970, and from October 1970 to October 1972, of a family with
NET INCOME OF TWO-CHILD FAMILIES (Children aged 6 and 10) £ per week October 1964 October 1970 October 1972 Annual percentage increase in income in real terms‡ Earnings* Net income† Earnings Net income Earnings Net income 1964–70 1970–72 9.68 9.47 15 14.72 18.50 19.30 2.7 5.4 12.91 12.03 20 17.11 24.67 21.67 1.2 3.6 18.11 16.18 28.05 22.32 34.60 27.97 0.7 3.1 32.28 26.29 50 37.18 61.68 46.25 1.1 2.7 64.56 48.84 100 70.04 123.36 88.26 1.3 3.4 129.12 88.95 200 114.59 246.72 141.62 -0.5 2.4 *The third line in the table shows average earnings of male manual workers in industry: the latest available figure in this series is for April 1972, and the October 1972 figure has been estimated by adjusting the April figure by the monthly average earnings index and, in the case of the last month the index of hourly wage rates. The same percentage increase as has taken place in average earnings has been applied to all income levels. † Net income is obtained by adjusting for FAM, FIS, tax and NI contributions as appropriate and deducting the cost of school meals, milk, and a representative amount of prescriptions, dental treatment and spectacles where these items are not provided free. ‡ To obtain the increase in real terms the net income figures are deflated by the retail prices index.