§ Mr. Newtonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will show the percentage of the average national weekly wage taken in the total of income taxes, indirect taxes, customs and excise duties, and vehicle excise duties following his recent Budget Statement, on a basis comparable with the figures for earlier years given in his Written Answer at column 178 of the Official Report for 18th April 1975.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonThe percentage of the average earnings, of a married man with two children under 11, taken in the326W total of income and indirect taxes following the Chancellor's recent Budget Statement is estimated at 30 per cent. This has been calculated on precisely the same basis as the figures given for earlier years in my Written Answer at column 178 of the Official Report for 18th April 1975. The average earnings taken are those of a full-time male manual worker in the manufacturing sector in February 1976, which are the latest available. It has been assumed that the conditional increase in the married allowance will be introduced following acceptance of the pay agreement at the special trade union conference.