§ Mr. Fieldasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value of the social wage in 1978–79, and for 1979–80, in the light of the Government's public expenditure plans.
§ Mr. BiffenAs I explained to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Lyon) on 6 July—[Vol. 969, c. 777]—the social wage as defined by the last Government was simply total expenditure on certain of the programmes in the public expenditure634W survey in any particular year divided by the number of people in the working population. I find it difficult to see any merit in such a figure. For example, it cannot be combined with gross earnings because it is financed—inter alia—out of those earnings nor can it be added to personal disposable income as that includes the pensions and other cash benefits already included in the social wage.