§ Mr. Meacherasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of national average earnings in October each year since 1938 was represented by the income tax threshold for a married man with two children; and what were the absolute figures for both national average earnings and the relevant tax threshold for each of these years.
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§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe figures are as follows:
Tax threshold for earned income* £ Average earnings of manual adult male† £ Tax threshold as percentage of average earnings Per cent. 1938–39 375 179 209.5 1939–40 375 Not available 1940–41 324 231 140.3 1941–42 267§ 258 103.5 1942–43 267§ 290 92.1 1943–44 267§ 315 84.8 1944–45 267§ 323 82.7 1945–46 267§ 315 84-.8 1946–47 323 314 102.9 1947–48 365 333 109.6 1948–49 381 359 106.1 1949–50 383 371 103.2 1950–51 383 391 98.0 1951–52 421 432 97.5 1952–53 498 464 107.3 1953–54 498 492 101.2 1954–55 498 531 93.8 1955–56 577 580 99.5 1956–57 578 619 93.4 1957–58 578 654 88.4 1958–59 579 667 86.8 1959–60 579 704 82.2 1960–61 579 756 76.6 1961–62 589 798 73.8 1962–63 589 825 71.4 1963–64 736 871 84.5 1964–65 736 942 78.1 1965–66 733 1,019 71.9 1966–67 733 1,056 69.4 1967–68 733 1,111 66.0 1968–69 687 1,196 57.4 1969–70 724 1,291 56.1 1970–71 840 1,459 57.6 1971–72 943 l,608‡ 58.6 * The children are assumed to be under 11. † These are the annual equivalents of the average weekly earnings of males aged 21 and over in manufacturing and certain other industries at October of each year, except for the years 1940–41 to 1945–46 when the weekly earnings related to July of each year. ‡ Provisional. § Post War Credit Years.