§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the total estimated costs and the combined cost in 1977–78, and the total comparable net costs in 1978–79, assuming a 14 per cent. increase in earnings between 1977–78 and 1978–79, of each of the following: increasing adult tax allowances to supplementary benefit level, including an element for rent and rates, altering tax rates to start at 15 per cent. on the first £1,000 of taxable income and to increase by 5 per cent. on each £1,000 of taxable income thereafter, to a maximum of (a) 50 per cent. and (b) 60 per cent., and replacing all existing children's benefits and allowances by a single scale of age-related child benefits, equal value to children's supplementary benefit rates, and payable for all dependent children.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonThe cost at 197778 income levels would be about £9,100 million for (a) and about £8,900 million for (b).
The supplementary benefit rates, and rent and rate additions, in 1978–79 are not yet known.