§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate, from figures available to him, the weekly family allowance payable to a family with three children as a percentage of the average earnings of adult male manual workers in the Common Market and in the United Kingdom, at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. DeanI regret that the information is not available in the form requested, except for Great Britain where the weekly family allowance payable to a family with three children—£1.90—represents approximately 6 per cent. of income, net of tax and national insurance contributions, where the breadwinner was receiving the average earnings of a male manual 277W worker. The family allowances payable to families with three children in other EEC countries expressed as a weekly sum are as follows:
WEEKLY FAMILY ALLOWANCE PAYABLE TO A FAMILY WITH THREE CHILDREN IN THE EEC (POSITION AT 1ST JANUARY 1973, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED) Country Allowances weekly France 68.13F plus additional allowances:— (a) ranging from 38.90F to 97.25F if there is only one breadwinner, and (b) ranging from 41.25F to 73.31F according to the ages of the children. Germany 19.61 DM Italy 3,960 Lire Belgium* 856.96 FB plus additional allowances ranging form 160.75 FB to 458.75 FB according to the ages of the children. Netherlands† 44.34 florins Luxembourg 777.54 FL Irish Republic‡ £2.02 Denmark§ 68.77 Dkr * Belgian rates as at 1st May 1973. † Netherlands rates as at 1st July 1973. ‡ Irish Republic rates as at 2nd July 1973. § Danish rates as at 1st July 1972 (latest available).