§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tables for each of a single person and a married couple, on the same basis as his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 7 November 1979, column 213, comparing net weekly spending power when earning with net weekly spending power, including tax refunds, when sick, distinguishing between (a) civil servants, (b) wage and salary earners who have their sick benefit made up to full pay by their employers, (c) members of Her Majesty's Forces, (d) wage and salary earners who rely wholly on sickness benefit and (e) the self-employed, assuming previous earnings of £55, £75, £95, and £115 per week.
§ Mrs. Chalker: I regret that I could not justify the expense and the use of scarce staff resources which would be involved in supplying the information requested by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a table, on the same basis as the reply given to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North Official Report. 7 November 1979, column 213, showing the effect on spending power for a single person, a married couple and a couple with two children of making benefits reckonable for tax, and of abolishing earnings-related supplement, assuming previous earnings of £45, £55 £65, £75, £85, £95 and £105, and illustrating the effects on the spending power of recipients of (a) unemployment benefit, (b) invalidity benefit, (c) widows pension and (d) supplementary benefit ;
(2) if he will publish a table, using the same basic assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North Official Report, 7 November 1979, column 213, comparing for each of a single person, a married couple, and couples with each of two and four children, net weekly spending power when at work with spending power during weeks, one two and three to eight of sickness (a) under present legislation and (b) assuming implementation of the arrangements proposed in "Income During Initial Sickness", assuming in each case (i) that the employees are 142W not at present covered by any employers' sick pay arrangements and (ii) that they have their sickness benefit made up to full pay by their employers, taking into account tax refunds and assuming normal weekly earnings of £55, £75, £95 and £115.
§ Mrs. Chalker: I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.