§ Mr. Gowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount of public sector debt outstanding to the private and overseas sectors on 5th April 567W 1976; what were the comparable figures in each of the last 30 years.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettPrecise statistics of public sector debt held by the private and overseas sectors are not available, since not all of the debt which is held within the public sector can be identified. Figures of total debt outstanding less identified holdings within the public sector at 31st March from 1964 to 1974 are shown in Annual Abstract of Statistics 1975, table 365. Previous issues show figures for earlier years, although on a slightly different basis. Firm figures for later years are not yet available but the
TAX THRESHOLD AS PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE EARNINGS Year Single person Married couple Married couple with 1 child under 11 Married couple with 3 children (2 not over 11,1 between 11 and 16) Married couple with 4 children (2 not over 11,2 between 11 and 16) Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 1949–50 … 39.4 62.8 83.0 123.5 143.7 1950–51 … 37.3 59.6 78.8 117.1 136.3 1951–52 … 33.8 56.9 77.1 117.6 138.0 1952–53 … 35.3 60.3 83.8 130.8 154.3 1953–54 … 33.3 56.9 79.1 123.4 145.5 1954–55 … 30.9 52.7 73.3 114.3 134.8 1955–56 … 32.9 55.2 77.4 121.7 143.8 1956–57 … 31.0 51.9 72.7 114.2 134.9 1957–58 … 29.4 49.1 68.8 113.0 137.5 1958–59 … 28.9 48.3 67.6 110.9 134.9 1959–60 … 27.4 45.7 64.1 105.1 127.8 1960–61 … 25.5 42.6 59.7 197.9 119.0 1961–62 … 25.6 41.6 57.8 94.0 114.0 1962–63 … 24.7 40.2 55.9 90.9 110.3 1963–64 … 32.8 50.5 67.5 105.2 125.8 1964–65 … 30.4 46.7 62.4 97.2 116.3 1965–66 … 27.8 43.0 57.4 89.6 107.3 1966–67 … 26.8 41.5 55.4 86.5 103.5 1967–68 … 25.5 39.4 52.7 82.2 98.4 1968–69 … 23.7 36.6 48.9 68.6 79.8 1969–70 … 25.4 37.4 48.8 65.8 75.6 1970–71 … 28.6 41.0 51.1 66.2 74.8 1971–72 … 26.0 37.2 49.6 69.7 80.7 1972–73 … 31.8 41.4 52.1 69.5 78.9 1973–74 … 28.0 36.4 45.8 60.6 68.8 1974–75 … 24.7 34.2 43.7 59.9 68.8 1975–76 … 21.8 30.8 38.6 51.8 59.0 1976–77 … 21.9 32.3 41.2 57.1 65.5 Notes: 1. Average earnings have been taken as the annual equivalent of average weekly earnings of full-time male manual workers aged 21 and over in manufacturing and certain other industries at October of each year, except for 1976–77 where the New Earnings Survey Estimate for April 1975 has been updated to February 1976 using the Department of Employment's monthly index of average earnings. 2. The tax threshold used takes account where appropriate of the effect of earned income relief and of the family allowance deduction "clawback". For years up to and including 1964–65 account has also been taken of the relief given for national insurance contributions. 3. The figures for 1976–77 assume implementation of the conditional. as well as unconditional proposals in the Budget.