§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report from international sources available to him a table showing the top 20 countries in order of income per head of population over the last five years; and if he will express the relative positions in percentage terms using the United States GNP as base.
§ Mr. Denzil DaviesFollowing are estimates per head of population in respect of the years 1972 to 1974 for (a) relative gross national product—GNP—at market prices based on figures calculated and published by the World Bank; (b) relative gross domestic product—GDP—at market prices calculated and published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities; and (c) relative GDP at market prices converted to a common unit of measurement on the basis of extrapolated purchasing power parities. The list of countries relates only to those with a population of one million or more.
The estimates at (a) and (b) are converted to a common unit of measurement on the basis of rates of exchange which may not reflect the internal purchasing power of national currencies.
611WThe set of estimates at heading (b) fluctuate more from year-to-year than those at heading (a), as a result of the World Bank's averaging process described in Note (1) below. The estimates at heading (c) provide what is thought to be a more realistic assessment of the relative level of GDP in each country, being
(a) (b) (c) 1972 1973 1974 1972 1973 1974 1972 1973 1974 United States 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Switzerland 99 98 100 Sweden 99 95 101 Canada 88 88 92 Federal Republic of Germany 86 86 89 75 90 93 74 73 75 Denmark 85 84 88 75 88 92 Norway 77 75 80 Belgium 73 73 78 64 75 82 France 73 73 78 66 78 77 74 74 77 Australia 71 70 72 Netherlands 70 70 73 61 72 78 New Zealand 62 59 62 Japan 56 59 58 50 61 63 62 63 62 Finland 58 58 62 Libyan Arab Republic 59 57 51 Austria 57 57 61 United Kingdom 49 49 51 50 50 51 60 60 60 Israel 49 48 51 German Democratic Republic 49 48 52 Czechoslovakia 48 46 48 Italy * 40 40 42 39 41 41 45 44 45 Sources: Heading (a): World Bank Atlas 1975, pages 7 and 27–30—see Notes (1) and (2) below. Heading (b): European Community Statistical Office National Accounts 1960–1974. Heading (c): Based on heading (b)— also see Note (3) below. Notes: (1) The World Bank estimates at (a) are based on average relative prices and exchange rates during 1972–74; the year to year movements reflect changes in the volume of output and the rate of inflation in the United States. (2) There are special difficulties in producing comparable estimates for centrally planned economies, where national accounts are compiled on the basis of the system of Material Product Balances. Estimates of Gross National Product for these countries on a comparable basis have been made by the World Bank, but more than usual caution in the use of the figures is advised. (3) The method of extrapolating the purchasing power parities is described in " International comparisons on the basis of purchasing power parities ", Economic Trends, November 1975. The benchmark estimates are those for 1970 provided in the " International Comparisons Project " of the United Nations. * Italy is the next country after Czechoslovakia in the list given in the Source for heading (a) (page 7—figures for 1973).
§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the net of tax income for a single man whose gross income at the start of 1971 was £7,000 and whose income has increased since then at the maximum rate permitted under the guidelines of every incomes policy that has been introduced;
(2) what is the net of tax income for a married man with two children whose gross income at the start of 1971 was £7,000 and whose income has increased
612Wbased on extrapolations of the comparisons made by the United Nations of the relative prices in 1970 of goods and services on which each country may spend its GDP; these extrapolated purchasing power parities are however approximate. Figures on a comparable basis are not available for earlier years.
since then at the maxium rate permitted under the guidelines of every incomes policy that has been introduced.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonSince policy restrictions on increases in rates of pay have not applied throughout the whole of the period since 1971, the earnings of such individuals would depend partly on increases received during periods without restrictions. I regret that information on the size of such increases is not available separately for individuals or particular levels of income.
613W
Mr. Tebbittasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish explanatory tables similar in format to those published on 6th April but detailing the effects on typical wage earners of pay increases of (a) 5 per cent. and (b) 10 per cent. taken with his alternative taxation strategies in the event of such limits being agreed.