§ Mr. Newtonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the social wage for 1975–76 in terms comparable with the figure given in his 1975 Budget speech for the year 1974–75; and if he will make a statement on how it was composed.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettOn this basis the social wage in 1975–76 amounted to just under £1,300 per member of the working population, made up as follows:
£ Social security 380 Education, libraries, science and arts 275 Health and personal social services 245 Housing 165 Other environmental services 95 Law, order and protective services 65 Certain subsidies in other programmes* 50 1,275 * Food, nationalised industries' price restraint and main transport subsidies.