§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the change in average annual income at constant 1994 prices between 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available of the poorest 10th and richest 10th of households comprising(a) a single adult, (b) a couple no children, (c) a couple with child aged three years, (d) a couple with child aged 16 years, (e) a couple with children aged three and eight years, (f) a couple with children aged three, eight and 11 years and (g) a couple with children aged 11, 16 and 17 years.
§ Mr. BurtThe information is not available in the form requested. This Department does not produce statistics on the distribution of annual incomes. Estimates of income distribution provided relate to current income at the time a survey respondent is interviewed.
Reliable estimates of changes in the average income of the family groups requested are not available for the lowest and highest tenth of the income distribution as the sample sizes are too small.
Figures giving the change in real income of the bottom fifth of the income distribution for particular family types are in table A4 of "Households Below Average Income 1979–1991–92", a copy of which is in the Library. Corresponding information for the top fifth is given in the table.
Changes in real income for family type, 1979–1991–92 Real percentage changes in median income (top quintile) Family type groups Before housing costs After housing costs Pensioner couple 35 to 77 47 to 92 Single pensioner 33 to 63 45 to 78 Couple with children 56 54 Couple without children 51 56 Single with children 8 to 43 1 to 39 Single without children 45 45 Notes:
1. Income change estimates relate to the median income in each quintile; income is net equivalised household income before or after housing costs. Range estimates are given where the range in which the true change lies exeeds 20 percentage points. This is more likely at the top of the income distribution (top quintile) of each family type.
2. Range estimates show the range in which the true change will lie, 95 times out of 100.
3.Results have not been checked for sensitivity to the use of different equivalence scales.