§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in gross income would be required on 1st May 1977 to maintain the real disposable income of a married man with two children under 11 years of age, taking into account payment of tax, national insurance and 5 per cent superannuation contributions who on 1st May 1974 earned (a) £30 per week and (b) the average industrial earnings at that date.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonAssuming full implementation of the Budget proposals, the figures are:
Weekly gross earnings April 1974* April 1977† (a) … £30.90 £57.90 (b) … £44.50 £81.30 * Including 90p family allowance. † Including £2.50 child benefit. The price index used is the general Index of Retail Prices—All Items for the months of April 1974 and April 1977. Average earnings are the New Earnings Survey estimate of average earnings of full-time adult male manual workers at the end of April 1974. It has been assumed that both employees were contracted out of the graduated pension scheme in 1974, and that the superannuation contributions qualified for income tax relief.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the effect of tax changes and of phases 1 and 2 of the incomes policy, on the net income after tax, national insurance contributions and family allowances/child benefits, but excluding means-tested benefits, of a single person, a married couple, and a married couple with one, two, three and four children, assuming incomes of April 1975 of £25, £30, £35, £40, £45, £50, £55, £60, £65 and £70, and assuming that in each case the maximum allowable wage increases have been paid.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 27th May 1977; Vol. 932, c.646], gave the further reply:
83WI regret that a reply cannot be provided without undue expenditure of resources.