HL Deb 05 May 1975 vol 360 cc184-6WA
Lord LEATHERLAND

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will provide a table showing the following information for England and Wales for each of the last 20 years, including an approximate forecast for 1975–6 if possible:

  1. (a) the national total of council rates collected each year, specifying:
    1. (i) the percentage of the Gross National Product which is represented by that total,
    2. (ii) the percentage increase which that total represents over the preceding year;
  2. (b) the percentage increase in the Retail Price Index over each preceding year;
  3. (c) the percentage increase in the average wage level over each preceding year.

Baroness BIRK

The following table sets out the available information:

Rates collected in England and Wales
Financial year £ million As percentage of gross national product Percentage increase over previous year
1955–56 419 2.5 2.4
1956–57 512 2.8 22.2
1957–58 550 2.8 7.4
1958–59 577 2.8 4.9
1959–60 648 3.0 12.3
1960–61 694 3.0 7.1
1961–62 744 3.0 7.2
1962–63 828 3.2 11.3
1963–64 920 3.4 11.1
1964–65 988 3.3 7.4
1965–66 1,128 3.6 14.2
1966–67 1,263 3.8 12.0
1967–68 1,320 3.8 4.5
1968–69 1,394 3.7 5.6
1969–70 1,511 3.8 8.4
1970–71 1,636 3.8 8.3
1971–72 1,907 3.9 16.6
1972–73 2,175 4.0 14.1
1973–74 2,410* 3.8 10.8
1974–75 2,845† .. 18.0
1975–76 3,735† .. 31.3
. . Not available.
* Provisional estimate.
† Very provisional estimates.
Percentage increase over previous year
October Average weekly earnings of full-time manual workers* Retail price index†
1955 9.0 5.6
1956 7.4 3.6
1957 5.8 4.3
1958 2.2 2.1
1959 5.2 –0.2
1960 6.6 2.0
1961 5.4 3.9
1962 3.3 2.9
1963 5.3 2.3
1964 8.2 4.1
1965 8.6 4.8
1966 4.2 3.8
1967 5.8 2.0
1968 7.8 5.6
1969 8.1 5.4
1970 13.5 7.4
1971 11.1 9.4
1972 15.7 7.9
1973 15.1 9.9
1974 20.0 17.1
1975 .. ..
.. Not available.
* Covers all full-time male and female manual workers in the United Kingdom in the following industries: Manufacturing; mining and quarrying (except coal mining); construction; gas, electricity and water; transport and communication (except railways and sea transport); certain miscellaneous services and public administration.
† United Kingdom.