§ Sir B. Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the increase in the retail prices index since the date of the last increase in family allowances; and what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure thereby required for families with income equal to the national average consisting of a single man, a married couple and couples with one, two, three and five children, assuming the same pattern of consumption of the items included in the index.
§ Mr. BoothBetween October 1968, the date of the last increase in family allowances, and June 1974, the retail price index has increased by 65 per cent. The national average household income per week for the year 1968 shown in the Family Expenditure Survey was £29.98. From the same source, estimates of average weekly expenditure, which excludes income tax payments, national insurance contributions, savings, life insurance, mortgage payments, etc., have been made for 1968 for types of household as identified in the survey, with weekly incomes of £30, and are given below together with the amounts obtained by applying to these expenditures the increase in retail prices since October 1968.
Household type Estimated average weekly expenditure of households with income of £30 per week 65 per cent. increase in amount in previous column £ £ One adult 21.1 13.7 One man, one woman 23.6 15.3 One man, one woman, one child 25.7 16.7 One man, one woman, two children 26.8 17.4 Two adults, three or more children 29.3 19.0