§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing, for families with one to four children, the income break-even levels, in £ sterling per week as a percentage of average male manual earnings, at which child benefit entitlement is the same as income tax liability.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe table sets out the weekly income levels for a married man whose wife is not working at which income tax liability equals child benefit entitlement at 1988–89 levels.
Break-even levels Number of children £ per week As a percentage of average male manual earnings1 1 107.75 52.0 2 136.75 65.9 3 165.75 79.9 4 194.75 93.9 1 Average manual earnings for male aged over 21 working a full week are estimated to be £207.40 per week in 1988–89.
§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for 1978–79 and 1988–89 or the most recent year available the total income before and after tax at constant prices for(a) the top 1 per cent., (b) the top 5 per cent. and (c) the top 10 per cent. and each 10 per cent. thereafter down to the bottom 10 per cent., including both working and non-working households in the figures and the percentage of income before and after tax accruing to each group.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 7 June 1988]: Estimates for the years 1978–79, 1981–82 and 1984–85 of shares of income, before and after tax, received by quantile groups are contained in "The distribution of income in the United Kingdom 1984–85", published in the November 1987 edition of Economic Trends.