§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will add a further section to each of the main tables published in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell), Official Report, 29th April 1977, columns 463–72, showing the net weekly spending 376W power of an unemployed man on the assumption that unemployment benefit was treated as earned income for tax purposes and that the basic rate of tax was 33per cent.
§ Mr. OrmeIn the reply to which the hon. Member refers the tables contained many assumptions, and I indicated my doubts about the general validity of the figures given. The information now requested would involve further assumptions about methods of taxation and, since any conclusions which could be drawn from these figures would be of even more doubtful validity, I do not consider that the staff time required to make the calculations would be justified.