§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North Official Report, 24 July 1980, column 382, showing the estimated cost of raising tax thresholds and reducing tax rates, what would be the additional cost of making the first £10 per week of travelling to work expenses tax deductible.
§ Mr. Peter ReesInformation is not available on which to base a precise estimate.
If average travelling expenses, estimated at £3.65 per week, were allowed against tax for the estimated 18 million persons who commute to work and would be taxpayers under my hon. Friend's proposed scheme, the additional cost would be of the order of £1,000 million.