§ Mr. Fieldasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the real weekly net income of a single person, married couple, married couple with one, two, and four children earning (a) half, (b) two-thirds, (c) average and (d) five times average earnings for each year since 1974; and if this data could be presented as an index with 1974=100.
§ Mr. Peter Rees,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 21 June 1979; Vol. 968, c. 674], gave the following answer:
The average earnings figures are the averages of the New Earnings Survey estimates of the average weekly earnings of full-time adult male employees in all occupations, manual and non-manual, at the April or the beginning and end of each year. For 1978–79 and 1979–80 the assumed level of earnings for October 1978 and March 1979—the latest available average earnings figure—were used. They were obtained by updating the New Earnings Survey estimate of average earnings of full-time adult males in April 1978 taking account of movements in a centred three-month moving average of the whole economy index of average earnings of all employees.
Net income is earnings less tax and national insurance contribution plus family allowance or child benefits where appropriate.
The March 1979 figures are calculated at proposed 1979–80 tax rates, tax allowances, and child benefit rates.
The prices index used to express net income at constant 1974–75 prices is the 221W general index of retail prices for all items averaged over the year.
REAL WEEKLY NET INCOME INDEX 1974–75=100 Single Married Married with one child under 11 years Married with two children under 11 years Married with two children under 11 and two between 11-16 years 1974–75— ½ × average earnings … … 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ⅔ × average earnings … … 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Average earnings … … 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 5 × average earnings … … 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1975–76— ½ × average earnings … … 95.5 95.7 95.1 95.4 99.2 ⅔ × average earnings … … 95.3 95.5 94.9 95.3 95.3 Average earnings … … 95.1 95.2 94.9 95.1 95.1 5× average earnings … … 86.9 87.2 87.3 87.3 87.3 1976–77— ½ × average earnings … … 93.0 94.0 93.9 94.5 98.3 ⅔ × average earnings … … 92.9 93.7 93.6 94.2 94.4 Average earnings … … 92.8 93.4 93.4 93.8 94.0 5 × average earnings … … 81.6 82.3 82.6 82.9 83.3 1977–78— ½ × average earnings … … 94.1 96.9 96.5 95.9 97.1 ⅔ × average earnings … … 93.7 95.9 95.6 95.3 93.8 Average earnings … … 93.2 94.8 94.7 94.4 93.4 5 × average earnings … … 82.7 84.0 83.8 83.7 83.3 1978–79— ½ × average earnings … … 99.7 101.7 102.9 102.6 104.4 ⅔ × average earnings … … 99.0 100.7 101.6 101.6 100.5 Average earnings … … 98.3 99.5 100.2 100.2 99.6 5 × average earnings … … 89.1 90.2 89.8 89.5 88.6 1979–80 (March 1979, but with Budget tax rates and allowances)— ½ × average earnings … … 103.9 105.9 108.2 109.1 112.6 ⅔ × average earnings … … 103.7 105.3 107.2 107.9 107.4 Average earnings … … 103.3 104.5 105.9 106.5 106.3 5 × average earnings … … 111.8 112.0 111.1 110.2 107.9 222W
REAL WEEKLY NET INCOME AT 1974–75 PRICES Single Married Married with one child under 11 years Married with two children under 11 years Married with two children under 11 and two between 11–16 years 1974–75— ½ × average earnings … … 20.40 21.90 23.40 25.20 28.30 ⅔ × average earnings … … 26.00 27.50 29.00 30.80 35.00 Average earnings … … 37.10 38.60 40.20 42.00 46.10 5 × average earnings … … 142.00 145.10 148.30 151.40 158.60 1975–76— ½ × average earnings … … 19.50 21.00 22.30 24.10 28.00 ⅔ × average earnings … … 24.70 26.30 27.50 29.30 33.30 Average earnings … … 35.30 36.80 38.10 39.90 43.90 5 × average earnings … … 123.30 126.60 129.40 132.10 138.50 1976–77— ½ × average earnings … … 19.00 20.60 22.00 23.80 27.80 ⅓ × average earnings … … 24.10 25.80 27.20 29.00 33.00 Average earnings … … 34.50 36.10 37.50 39.30 43.40 5 × average earnings … … 115.90 119.40 122.40 125.40 132.20 1977–78— ½ × average earnings … … 20.00 21.20 22.60 24.20 27.50 ⅔ × average earnings … … 24.30 26.40 27.70 29.30 32.80 For 1979–80 the March 1979 figure has been used.
223W
Single Married Married with one child under 11 years Married with two children under 11 years Married with two children under 11 and two between 11–16 years Average earnings … … 34.60 36.60 38.00 39.60 43.10 5 × average earnings … … 117.40 121.90 124.30 126.70 132.10 1978–79— ½ × average earnings … … 20.30 22.30 24.10 25.90 29.50 ⅔ × average earnings … … 25.70 27.70 29.50 31.30 35.20 Average earnings … … 36.50 38.50 40.30 42.10 45.90 5 × average earnings … … 126.40 130.90 133.20 135.40 140.50 1979–80 (March 1979, but with Budget tax rates and allowances)— ½ × average earnings … … 21.20 23.20 25.40 27.50 31.80 ⅔ × average earnings … … 26.90 28.90 31.10 33.30 57.60 Average earnings … … 38.40 40.40 42.50 44.70 49.00 5 × average earnings … … 158.80 162.50 164.70 166.80 171.10