HC Deb 23 July 1981 vol 9 c197W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage of average weekly earnings spent on the average rent in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector in Scotland.

Mr. Rifkind

The best available information, which is derived from the Family Expenditure Survey 1979, suggests that the average percentage of the gross income of the head of the household which is spent on rent—after rebate or allowance—was 9 per cent. in the public sector and 8 per cent. in the unfurnished private rented sector at the time of the survey. The survey was based on a small sample, and the figures are thus liable to appreciable sampling error.