§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 18 March, c. 281, if he will express proposed central Government expenditure in 1983–84 as an amount per taxpayer (a) counting married couples as two taxpayers and (b) excluding non tax-paying wives.
§ Mr. BrittanI assume that in referring to taxpayers my hon. Friend means people who pay income tax. It is estimated that, in 1983–84, revenue from income tax will be £31.4 billion, which is equivalent to about 25 per cent. of central Government expenditure, as shown in table 5.2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
For each person paying income tax, central Government expenditure would be equivalent to (a) £5,080 and (b) £5,990 on the alternative bases specified in the question.