§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of revenue that is lost due to the fact that short-term benefits are exempt from taxation.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated extra annual revenue if national insurance sickness and unemployment benefits were treated as earned income for income tax purposes.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonThe latest estimates of the potential revenue yield, on short-term benefits, based on expenditure for 1977–78 in Great Britain calculated at benefit rates that applied during the year, are as follows:
£ million Unemployment Benefit 200 Sickness Benefit 180 Industrial Injury Benefit 15 Maternity Allowance 20 These are approximate figures, since the information on which to base precise calculations is not available.