HC Deb 28 April 2003 vol 404 cc169-70W
Norman Baker

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the UK population have held shares in each year from 1974 to date. [108950]

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the UK population have held shares in each year since 1973. [109338]

Maria Eagle

I have been asked to reply.

Information is not available in the format requested. Such information for Great Britain is available in the table.

Percentage of adults
Type of saving
Stocks and shares Stocks and shares,

ISAs, PEPs,

TESSAs, unit trusts

1997–98 22 31
1998–99 21 31
1999–2000 20 32
2000–01 19 34
2001–02 19 37

Notes:

1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). A consistent series for assets and savings is available from 1997–98.2001–02 is the latest year for which data is available.

2. Adults include all those aged 16 and over, except for 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time non-advanced education; all adults in the household are interviewed as part of the FRS.

3. Figures for investment income are particularly problematic. Questions on assets are a sensitive part of the FRS questionnaire and have relatively low level of response, and hence higher levels of imputation, compared to other parts of the survey. Responses are imputed in around one in 10 cases.

4. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for tenure type, council tax band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining response bias.

5. The final column of the table shows the percentage of adults reporting one or more of the categories: stocks and shares, unit trusts, TESSAs, PEPs and ISAs. Note that not all ISAs, PEPs, unit trusts and TESSAs will be share based.

Source:

Family Resources Survey (Great Britain).