§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many married 417W women have opted to pay only class I national insurance contributions; and how many of them had previously paid full-rate contributions.
§ Mr. OrmeThe number of married women who currently have the right to pay reduced Class 1 contributions is not known. The latest information available concerning contributions paid by married women in employment in the United Kingdom is for 1975–76, when it is estimated that some 4,120,000 paid contributions at the reduced rate. It is not known how many of them had paid contributions at the full rate in the preceding year. It may be assumed that the vast majority had paid full contributions at some time during their working lives.