§ Mr. Crawfordasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of a 10 per cent reduction in basic tax rates (a) in Scotland and (b) in the United Kingdom
§ Mr. Robert SheldonAssuming that the hon. Member is referring to income tax, the estimated cost of a reduction of 10p in the basic rate for the United Kingdom at 1977–78 income levels, is about £4,500 million. A precise figure for Scotland is not available. If the cost were in proportion to the tax bills in the two countries, it would be about £280 million.