§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of a flat-rate unemployment benefit for single and married men, where the wife is not working, with no, two and four children, respectively, as a percentage of average male industrial earnings for each year since 1948.
§ Mr. Alec JonesThe figures requested are given in the following table.
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FLAT RATE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE MALE INDUSTRIAL EARNINGS* Year (October) Single Person Married Couple Married with 2 children Married with 4 children 1948 18.8 30.4 38.1 42.2 1949 18.2 29.5 36.9 40.9 1950 17.3 27.9 35.1 39.0 1951 15.7 25.3 34.8 41.2 1952 18.2 30.2 40.2 47.4 1953 17.2 28.5 38.0 45.0 1954 15.9 26.4 35.3 42.0 1955 17.9 29.1 38.1 44.9 1956 16.8 27.3 35.8 43.2 1957 15.9 25.8 33.9 41.1 1958 19.5 31.2 41.6 50.6 1959 18.5 29.5 39.4 48.2 1960 17.2 27.5 36.8 45.2 1961 18.7 30.1 40.5 49.7 1962 18.1 29.2 39.2 48.2 1963 20.1 32.5 43.4 53.2 1964 18.6 30.1 40.2 49.5 1965 20.4 33.2 43.8 53.4 1966 19.7 32.0 42.3 51.6 1967 21.1 34.2 45.0 54.3 1968 19.6 31.7 42.3 49.8 1969 18.1 29.4 39.3 46.5 1970 17.8 28.9 38.7 46.2 1971 19.4 31.4 42.1 50.5 1972 18.8 30.4 41.1 49.8 1973 18.0 29.1 39.5 48.2 1974† 18.3 29.6 40.3 49.5 * Average earnings of male, adult, full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries as determined by the Department of Employment's regular October enquiry. † Estimated for July (latest available date).