§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will compare the net weekly spending power, defined as in the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 15th May 1974 but with updated figures, of a man with a wife and two children under 11 years with a gross basic wage of £25 for a 40 hour week plus eight hours at time and a half for Saturday working, with persons in similar family circumstances earning (a) £30, (b) £35, (c) £40, (d) £45, and (e) £50, each with eight hours at time and a half on Saturdays, assuming that previous earnings had been increased by 20 per cent. 20 weeks ago.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe assumptions used in the following table are as in my reply to the hon. Member on 15th May 1974—[Vol. 873, c.464–70.]—except that rent, rates and expenses associated with work have been taken as £6, £2 and 75p respectively. In the calculations entitlement to rent and rate rebates has been based on current earnings. None of the families specified would have been entitled to FIS or free welfare milk either before or after a 20 per cent. increase in basic wages 20 weeks ago; the lowest paid family has title to free school meals.
Basic Wage Net Weekly Spending Power £ £ 25 26.70 30 28.24 35 30.61 40 32.98 45 36.34 50 40.21