§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the level of income at which rent and rate rebates are phased out for a married couple with two children, as a percentage of average male manual earnings, and in each year since commencement of these schemes, assuming rent and rates at the average for local authority dwellings in each year.
§ Mr. ArmstrongFollowing is the available information:
Rent Rebates: Income at which a married couple, paying average rent, with two dependent children, become ineligible for a Rent Rebate, England and Wales: October 1973–76.
Income: £ per week 1973 … … 38.63 1974 … … 43.64 1975 … … 49.20 1976 … … 55.30 Percentage of average male manual earnings (UK) 1973, 94. 1974, 90. 1975, 83. 1976, 83.
These estimates assume the operation of the standard scheme, with no discretionary allowances given by the local authority, that the family has no non-dependents, and that all income is earned by the husband.
631WMale manual earnings relate to the United Kingdom, average unrebated local authority rents, used in the calculation, to England and Wales only.
No comparable estimates for the rate rebate scheme can be given because no information is available about average rate payments on local authority dwellings.