§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of total earned income is taken in income tax and employee's social security contributions combined taking account wherever
MARRIED COUPLE AND 2 CHILDREN Percentage of total earned income taken in income tax and employee's social security contributions combined United Kingdom average earnings Twice United Kingdom average earnings Three times United Kingdom average earnings Belgium … … … … 17.16 24.42 29.18 … … … … (17.59) (25.40) (30.58) Denmark … … … … 6.69 15.02 23.96 … … … … (15.22) (31.13) (42.60) France … … … … 8.34 11.28 13.78 Germany …… … … … 22.22 26.38 28.45 Ireland … … … … 20.83 32.43 43.54 Italy … … … … 15.60 22.30 26.42 Luxembourg … … … … 8.34 15.91 22.71 Netherlands … … … … 23.56 29.26 33.98 United Kingdom … … … … 25.75 32.30 39.89 Notes:
1. The figure in brackets for Belgium incorporates the 6 per cent. maximum local authority surcharge on tax. The figure in brackets for Denmark incorporates communal income tax for Copenhagen.
2. Average earnings are the New Earnings Survey estimate of the average earnings of full time male workers aged 21 and over in all occupations at April 1975, updated to August 1976 by the Index of Average Earnings.
3. The calculations take no account of family allowances.
4. The rates of exchange used were those given in the Financial Times of 26th October 1976.