§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing contributions made by employers for all pensions and other social security benefits, per employee, on a weekly basis, expressed in £ sterling in each of the following countries, at the latest convenient date, United Kingdom, USA, Japan, France and West Germany.
§ Mr. OrmeIn each of the countries mentioned the employer's social security contribution, including that for pensions, is calculated as a percentage of the total payroll or as a percentage of each employee's earnings up to a given ceiling. The relevant information is given in the table below, which shows the current position except where otherwise indicated. Exchange rates for the appropriate dates have been used in calculating the sterling equivalents of earnings ceilings.
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EMPLOYER'S CONTRIBUTIONS United Kingdom USA Japan France West Germany 1st January 1975 Percentage Rate Weekly ceiling Percentage Rate Weekly ceiling Percentage Rate Weekly ceiling Percentage Rate Weekly ceiling Percentage Rate Weekly ceiling £ £ £ £ £ Maternity … … … 8.75 (1) 95.00 (2) 3.80 None 2.50 Plus 10.95 None 4.50 (3) 142.83 Sickness … … … 97.10 Invalidity … … … 4.95 None 3.80 (6) None 9.00 190.44 Survivors … … … Retirement … … … 7.70 97.10 Industrial injury … … 1.10 (3) None 0.3 to 8.1 None 3.97 (3) 97.10 1.50 (3) 168.04 Unemployment … … 0.50 (4) None 0.80 None 1.76 388.38 1.50 190.44 Family allowances … … None (5) (8) 9.00 97.10 None (1) Provided the employee earns £13 a week or more. (2) In most States no scheme exists. (3) Average. (4) Federal scheme. In addition, each State has a separate scheme with an average employer's contribution in 1974 of about 2 per cent. of the payroll. (5) No scheme exists. (6) For a man. 2.9 per cent. for a woman. (7) According to accident rate. (8) 70 per cent. of cost of employees' allowances. No information is readily available of how the cost is distributed among employers.