§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of married women in, respectively, full-time and part-time employment; what percentage have taken up the married women's option; what is the present annual value of national insurance contribution payments from married women in paid employment; and what it would be if the married women's option were abolished.
§ Mr. DeanNational insurance statistics do not show separately how many married women are employed full-time and part-time. Based on the 1971 census information and taking employment over 30 hours a week as full-time, about 2½ million are estimated to be employed full-time. No information is available about the separate percentages of married women in full-time and part-time employ-90W ment who have exercised the option not to pay flat-rate contributions.
It is estimated that there are some 5 million married women in employment in respect of whom national insurance contributions are payable, about 75 per cent. of whom have exercised the option not to pay flat-rate contributions. In addition there are about ¾ million married women in employment with earnings below the threshold or working for less than eight hours a week, in respect of whom there is a liability for industrial injuries contributions only. National insurance contributions, including industrial injuries contributions, are currently being paid by married women at the rate of about £130 million a year, of which £50 million relates to flat-rate contributions, including £7 million for the National Health Service; £80 million relates to graduated contributions.
If the married women's option were abolished it is estimated that the yield of flat-rate contributions would be increased by about £118 million, including £21 million for National Health Service contributions.