§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what increase in his net weekly spending power, defined as in the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 28th January 1975, Official Report, column 96, a man with a wife and two children would receive if his gross weekly wage of £25 were to be increased by 20 per cent.
§ Mr. O'MalleyOn the assumptions in the hon. Member's Question the family
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Hospital Region 1963 1965 1970 1973 Newcastle— Cancer … … … … 6,485 6,763 7,175 7,663* Bronchitis … … … … 2,107 2,082 1,966 2,027* Leeds— Cancer … … … … 7,065 7,434 7,789 8,089* Bronchitis … … … … 2,564 2,195 2,045 1,808* Sheffield— Cancer … … … … 9,097 9,340 10,517 10,835* Bronchitis … … … … 3,341 2,964 3,004 2,666* East Anglia— Cancer … … … … 3,399 3,563 4,000 4,331* Bronchitis … … … … 857 741 738 681* North West Metropolitan— Cancer … … … … 9,152 9,566 10,019 10,092* Bronchitis … … … … 2,715 2,141 2,105 1,870* North East Metropolitan— Cancer … … … … 7,427 7,644 8,127 8,107* Bronchitis … … … … 2,633 1,970 1,897 1,725* South East Metropolitan— Cancer … … … … 8,466 8,585 9,461 9,482* Bronchitis … … … … 2,713 2,071 2,219 1,895* South West Metropolitan— Cancer … … … … 7,554 8,206 8,558 8,587* Bronchitis … … … … 2,465 1,881 1,914 1,584* Wessex— Cancer … … … … 4,235 4,451 5,032 5,377* Bronchitis … … … … 1,284 937 955 899* Oxford— Cancer … … … … 3,283 3,420 4,008 4,072* Bronchitis … … … … 945 784 856 819* with two children aged 4 and 12 would have a net weekly spending power of £24.32. If the man's gross weekly wage of £25 were increased by 20 per cent. to £30 the net weekly spending power would be decreased by one per cent. to £24.06.
For the reasons given in my replies to the hon. Member's Questions on 28th January and 5th February—[Vol. 885, c. 95–6 and 567]—this hypothetical outcome of an increase in gross pay is very misleading and would not occur in practice.
Note: Rent £5.00.
Rates £1.60.
Expenses of Work: £0.65.