HC Deb 25 June 1996 vol 280 cc109-10W
18. Mr. Robert Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in 1979 were living on(a) half or (b) less than half of the average income in that year. [32991]

Mr. Burt

The number of people with incomes below half the mean has risen from 4.4 million in 1979 to 11.4 million in 1992–93, before housing costs, and from 5 million to 14.1 million, after housing costs. Much of this rise was due to the 36 per cent. increase in average income.