§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are currently estimated not to be paying income tax because their incomes are too low.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonI regret that the information on which to base a firm estimate is not available. However, it is thought that the number of persons aged over 16 who are not liable to tax on their income, whether because it is insufficient or because it consists of a nontaxable benefit, is between 6½ million and 7 million, counting married couples as one.