§ Mr. Beaneyasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why the National Insurance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations, 1963, prescribe that the weekly graduated contribution payable on earnings of £16 a week should be 6s. 1d. in view of the fact that Section 1of the National Insurance Act, 1959, provides that the contribution shall be 4¼ Per cent. of earnings in excess of £9 a week and that 4£ per cent, of £7is 5s. lid. to the nearest penny; and why the contributions prescribed under these regulations for earnings of £15 a week is 5s. 2d. in view of the fact that until 1st June it was 5s. 1d. under the 1960 regulations and that 4¼ per cent, of £6 is 5s. 1d. to the nearest penny.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe contribution tables set out in Schedule C of the National Insurance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations, 1963, strike a reasonable balance between exact percentages and simplicity of operation. The rates in the weekly table are therefore based on the mid-points of earnings bands of 5s. This was approved by the National Insurance Advisory Committee in paragraphs 8 to 10 of their Report on the Preliminary Draft of the National Insurance (Assessment of Graduated Contributions) Regulations, 1960 (H.C. Paper 213 of Session 1959–60). Thus the contribution now payable on56W earnings from £16 to £16 4s. 11d. a week is calculated as 4¼ per cent, of £7 2s. 6d. and on earnings from £15 to £15 4s. 11d. as 4¼ per cent, of £6 2s. 6d. Before the changes on 1st June, £15 was the upper limit of earnings in the liable range and the calculation was therefore based on £15.