§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of raising the tax threshold to (a) the supplementary benefit level and (b) the family income supplement level.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 3rd February 1977, Vol. 925, c. 311], gave the following information:
Assuming that increases in tax allowances were given according to family size, the estimated cost of increasing tax thresholds to 1976–77 supplementary benefit levels would be about £900 million at 1976–77 income levels. On the same basis the cost of increasing tax thresholds to the corresponding average family income supplement levels at July 1976 rates would be about £1,500 million.