§ Mr. MacGregorasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table given in the reply, Official Report, 3rd March 1978, columns 429–431, to the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) to show the latest available data in December 1977 price terms but allowing for tax changes in the 1978 budget.
§ 12 Mr. Robert Sheldonpursuant to his reply [Official Report,th April 1978], gave the following answer:
Figures for March 1978 are not yet available and would not show the effect of the proposals in the Budget Statement.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost at 1977–78 income levels of each of the following (a) introducing unisex adult tax allowances of £1,250, which could be aggregated by married couples and set against the income of either spouse, together with abolition of wife's earned income allowance and of the age allowance, (b) altering tax rates to start at 15 per cent. on the first £1,000 of taxable income, and to increase by 5 per cent. on
580Wreducing the basic rate of income tax from 34 per cent. to 30 per cent.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonI will let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Written Answer to the hon. Member for Blaby, Official Report, 15th February, columns 275–6, if he will provide comparable figures of estimated income tax due in 1977–78.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th April 1978], gave the following answer:
Following is the information:
each £1,000 of taxable income thereafter, to a maximum rate of 50 per cent., and (c) replacing all existing children's benefits and allowances by a single scale of age-related child benefits, equal in value to children's supplementary benefit rates, and payable for all dependent children; and what would be the total net cost of all three changes if put into effect simultaneously.
§ 10 Mr. Robert Sheldonpursuant to his reply [Official Report,th April 1978], gave the following information:
At 1977–78 income levels and tax rates and allowances the cost of (a) would be about £3,100 million; of (b) about £6,500 million; and of (c) for all dependent children about £1,300 million. The total net cost of all three changes if put into effect simultaneously would be about £10,400 million. These figures assume the continuance of the existing provision under which a couple may elect for separate taxation of a wife's earnings.
§ Mr. Stoddartasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of how much more would be received in net terms, assuming earnings of £73 per week, 581W by a family with two children, one aged 11 years and one aged under 11 years, as a result of the contribution of child benefits at the present level, assuming that instead, child tax allowances had been increased in line with increases in the single person's tax allowance and family allowances had remained at the same level as it was when phased out.
§ 10 Mr. Robert Sheldonpursuant to his reply [Official Report,th April 1978], gave the following information:
The family receives 57p a week more from April 1978, and will receive £1.97 a week more from November as a result of the proposed further increase in child benefit. Both figures are by comparison with what would have been received for 1978–79 under the previous system, on the assumption that child tax allowances for 1975–76 were increased in line with the increase in the single person's allowance, since 1975–76, including that proposed for 1978–79, but that family allowances and clawback were not changed.