HC Deb 05 November 1979 vol 973 c7W
Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
per cent.
One child family
Gross earnings … 36.7 42.6 41.7 39.3 37.5 39.6 40.3 49.9 46.2 40.8
Net earnings … 46.8 54.0 52.3 50.5 49.8 54.3 55.3 67.1 62.7 54.5
Two child family
Gross earnings … 45.3 52.6 51.3 48.2 45.9 48.5 49.3 59.7 55.3 48.3
Net earnings … 56.4 64.6 62.7 60.5 59.3 65.2 65.9 78.3 73.9 65.2
Three child family
Gross earnings … 53.8 62.5 60.9 57.2 54.4 57.5 58.3 69.4 64.3 56.8
Net earnings … 66.3 75.2 73.0 70.7 68.7 75.9 76.2 89.3 85.2 75.9
Four child family
Gross earnings … 62.4 72.5 70.5 66.1 62.8 66.4 67.3 79.1 73.3 64.8
Net earnings … 74.7 84.3 82.0 79.6 76.9 85.5 85.3 99.3 95.6 86.5
Notes:
1. The qualifying levels for free school meals are those laid down in the Department's Provision of Milk and Meals Regulation 1969 as amended.
2. Gross earnings for all years up to and including 1978 are the mean of the New Earnings Survey estimates of average earnings of full-time adult male manual workers for the April of each year and the April of the following year. The figure for 1979 is the April 1979 NES figure updated to July 1979 by the monthly index of average earnings. This is the latest available figure. It is not possible to provide an estimate for September and the final column is not comparable with the rest of the table.
3. Net earnings up to 1976 have been taken as "gross earnings" less income tax and national insurance. The income tax calculations assume that the families were collecting family allowance but these payments have not been included in the figures for gross or net earnings. Nor have child benefit allowances been included in gross or net pay for 1977 and later.
4. For the purposes of calculating income tax the ages of the children have been taken as:
One under 11;
One under 11 and one between 11 and 16;
Two under 11 and one between 11 and 16;
Two under 11, one between 11 and 16 and one over 16.
5. The percentages are based on the point on the school meals remission scale at which the parent is no longer entitled to free school meals for any child.
6. The figures for years up to 1975 differ slightly from those given in a written answer on 5 July 1979 in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field)—[Vol. 969, c. 651–52.] The present figures embody minor revisions of previous data.