HC Deb 27 May 1976 vol 912 cc328-9W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average industrial wage in October 1974; what is the latest comparable figure; and how much tax would fall to be paid weekly by a person earning the average wage, on each occasion, if he had a wife and two young children.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

The information is as follows:

Average wage1 Weekly Tax
October 1974 £49.7 £8.5
March 1976 £65.7 £14.22
1 The average wage has been taken as the estimated average gross earnings of full time manual adult male workers, obtained by applying the monthly index of average earnings to the New Earnings Survey estimated at April 1974 and April 1975.
2 Using 1975–76 tax rates and allowances. The tax figure would be reduced by £1.70 by applying the tax rates and allowances, both conditional and unconditional, proposed for 1976–77.

The calculations assume that the children are not over 11 years of age, and the tax figures include the tax on the family allowance and "clawback".