§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a table using the same basic assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, 7 November 1979, for November each year since 1976, and for a married man with two children aged eight and 13 years, showing net weekly spending power from supplementary benefit plus free school meals, plus maximum earnings disregards expressed as a percentage of (a) net weekly incomes, (b) net weekly spending power and (c) net weekly spending power excluding free school meals, except for family income supplement recipients, from earnings equal to 50 per cent., 60 per cent., 70 per cent., 85 per cent. and 100 per cent. of average male manual earnings in October of each of the selected years;
(2) if he will publish a table for November in each year since 1976, using the same basic assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, 7 November 1979, showing net weekly spending power for a married man with two children on (a) average male manual earnings, and (b) 75 per cent. of average male manual earnings, expressed as percentages of net weekly spending power from 50 per cent. of average male manual earnings;
(3) if he will publish a table using the same basic assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North 7 November 1979, and for each year since November 1976, showing the net weekly spending power of an unemployed married couple with two children during the first six months of unemployment, with and without tax refunds, expressed as a percentage of net weekly spending power 301W when at work with previous wages equal to 50 per cent., 75 per cent. and 100 per cent. of average male manual earnings in October of each year reviewed;
(4) if he will publish figures on the same basic assumptions as in his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 7 November 1979, showing the net weekly spending power when at work compared with net weekly spending power during sickness, for a married man with two children earning £100 a week, and assuming that he is (a) a civil servant, (b) a local government official, (c) a teacher, (d) a member of Her Majesty's Forces, (e) a car worker, (f) an agricultural worker and (g) an employee in the private sector whose sickness benefit is made up to his normal wage by his employer.
§ Mrs. ChalkerAs my hon. Friend knows, we have made available a very large amount of information on net weekly spending power based on standard assumptions on such matters as housing expenses, benefits, travel to work expenses, size of family and ages of children. The use of non-standard assumptions and the introduction of other factors add disproportionately to the work. We are trying to hold down the cost of central government. Against this background, I regret that I could not justify the expense and the use of scarce staff resources which would be involved in supplying all the information requested.