§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what gross earnings are necessary for a married man with four children aged 16, 14, 12 and 10 years who pays £10 a week in rent and £3 a week rates, and whose work expenses are £5, in order to produce net weekly spending power equal in value to the same family's supplementary benefit entitlement, including free school meals, and to 120 per cent. of supplementary benefit;
682W(2) what gross earnings are necessary for a married man with two children aged 16 and 14 years, who pays £8 a week in rent and £2.50 a week rates and whose work expenses are £5, in order to produce net weekly spending power equal in value to the same family's supplementary benefit entitlement, including free school meals, and to 120 per cent. of supplementary benefit;
(3) If he will compare the increase in net weekly spending power for a married couple with two children aged 15 and 13 years, when the husband's wage of £75 is increased by 10 per cent. with the increase which he would have received on 14th November if he had been in receipt of supplementary benefit, assuming housing costs of £7.80 in each case;
(4) if he will publish a table showing the net weekly spending power of a fireman earning £100 a week, who is married with three children aged 16, 14 and 12 years, and who pays £10 a week rent and £3 a week in rates (a) when he is working, and (b) when he is on strike and in receipt of tax refunds and supplementary benefit, including free school meals, for his wife and children;
(5) if he will publish a table showing the net weekly spending power of a fireman earning £80 a week, who is married with two children aged 14 and 12 years, and who pays £8 a week rent and £2.50 a week in rates (a) when he is working, and (b) when he is on strike and in receipt of tax refunds and supplementary benefit, including free school meals, for his wife and children.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage increase in gross pay would be necessary for a married couple with two children aged 14 and 12 years, and presently earning £50 per week, in order to produce the same increase in net weekly income from employment as they would have received on 14th November from (a) unemployment/sickness benefit and (b) supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 30th November 1977; Vol. 940, c. 279–80], gave the following information:
683WAs the hon. Member knows, my Department supplies illustrative examples of net weekly spending power based on standard assumptions on housing, expenses and benefits, working expenses, size of family and ages of children. We have no information about individual groups of workers and any information I could give on the basis of the standard assumptions would not necessarily be typical of, or applicable to particular occupations.
Figures are not readily available on the basis of different assumptions although they are provided when they can be supplied without disproportionate cost. I regret that the range of figures asked for in this and the hon. Member's other Questions to which I am replying today cannot be so supplied.