§ 74. Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state (a) the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children aged eight and 11 years whose earnings are £120 per week and whose rent is £12, rates £5 and travel-to-work expenses £5 with (b) his net weekly spending power whilst in receipt of unemployment benefit, earnings-related supplement and tax rebate and assuming that he is earning £4 per week which is disregarded when claiming benefits.
§ Mrs. Chalker: II have written to my hon. Friend explaining the general background to calculations of this kind. The figures of total income support shown in the tax benefit model tables are based on standard assumptions on 343W rents, rates, ages of children and other factors. On the basis of these standard assumptions, the figures of total income support for a married couple with two children, where gross earnings were £120 a week, would be (a) £77.59 when the man was in work and (b) £61.32 when the man was unemployed. Copies of the November 1981 edition of the tax benefit model tables have been placed in the Library of the House.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the real net weekly spending power expressed in 1955 prices for the years 1955, 1965, 1975 and each year since then as available of the following households: (a) a married couple with two children aged under 11 years dependent on short-term national insurance benefit, (b) a single person on supplementary benefit national assistance with two children aged under 11 years, (c) a married couple with two children aged under 11 years with earnings of two-thirds average gross male earnings and (d) a married couple dependent on long-term national insurance pension.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI regret that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.