HC Deb 30 March 1971 vol 814 cc325-6W
Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the approximate total of taxes levied on strike pay and benefits paid to strikers during

The information available is given in the table below. Figures for 1945 are not available and those for 1970 are at present incomplete. The table therefore includes figures for 1948 and 1969.

1948 1950 1955 1960 1965 1969 1970
National income* 9,669 10,784 15,522 20,884 28,645 35,219 38,535
Trading profits of companies* 1,312 1,363 2,251 2,899 3,407 2,832 ¨
Payments of dividends on ordinary shares 397 406 579 1,040 1,735 1,754 1,701
Undistributed income of companies after taxation* 500 582 1,221 1,459 1,896 511 ¨
Rent, dividends and net interest received by personal sector 1,099 1,147 1,371 2,202 3,416 4,155 ¨
Income from self-employment* 1,133 1,193 1,429 1,759 2,194 2,658 ¨
Income from employment 6,785 7,627 11,244 15,174 21,261 27,141 30,426
Expressed as a percentage of national income
Trading profits of companies* 13.6 12.6 14.5 13.9 11.9 8.0 ¨
Payments of dividends on ordinary shares 4.1 3.8 3.7 5.0 6.1 5.0 4.4
Undistributed income of companies after taxation* 5.2 5.4 7.9 7.0 6.6 1.5 ¨
Rent, dividends and net interest received by personal sector ‡ 11.4 10.6 8.8 10.5 11.9 11.8 ¨
Income from self-employment* 11.7 11.1 9.2 8.4 7.7 7.5 ¨
Income from employment 70.2 70.7 72.4 72.7 74.2 77.1 79.0
* After deducting stock appreciation and capital consumption.
† Excluding additions to dividend and tax reserves.
‡ Including receipts by life assurance and pension funds and by private non-profit-making bodies.

Source: National Income Blue Books and National Income White Papers.

official strikes during the first quarter of 1971 and each quarter in 1970; and what percentage was paid out in tax.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Strike pay and supplementary benefits are not taxable.

Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the approximate total value of taxes refunded to strikers, both official and unofficial, in the first quarter of 1971; how this figure corresponds with that for each quarter in 1970, and in the previous five years; and whether he will express the current rate of refund per head per week.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

I am afraid that this information is not available.