§ Mr. Nottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what, in sterling, was the gross weekly income of the average wage earner in each Common Market country and in the United Kingdom, respectively, in 1958 and at the latest available date.
§ Mr. BryanI regret that the precise figures asked for are not available, but the following figures of average income per employed person, including earnings, social security payments and fringe benefits, have been published by the European Community Information Service and relate to 1958 and 1968.
AVERAGE INCOME PER EMPLOYED PERSON U.S. $ PER YEAR (IN EXCHANGE RATE THEN CURRENT) 1958 1968 Belgium … 1,833 3,512 France … 1,735 3,846 Germany … 1,427 3,059 Italy … 1,033 2,588 Luxembourg … 2,401 (1960) 3,604 (1967) Netherlands … 1,432 3,546 United Kingdom … 1,677 2,578 International comparisons of this kind present many problems; they must be made in terms of a chosen currency, and changes in the rate of exchange complicate the position. At the old rate the figure for the United Kingdom in 1968 would have been 3,008. Furthermore, there are differences in the purchasing power of the currencies and in the levels of direct and indirect taxation and of social benefits between one country and another.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what, in sterling, was the net weekly disposable income after deduction of taxes and national insurance contributions of the average wage earner in each Common Market country and in the United Kingdom, respectively, in 1958, 1969 and at the latest available date.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the amount of the average national weekly savings, expressed as a proportion of the net disposable income of the average wage earner, in the United Kingdom and each of the six countries of the European Economic Community, respectively, for the most recent convenient period.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what, in sterling and as a percentage, was the real increase in net weekly disposable income of the average wage earner, adjusted for the increase in the cost of living, in each Common Market country and the United Kingdom, respectively, between 1958 and 1969 or a later available date.