§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate for 1979 of the number of (a) adults, (b) families and (c) persons who are affected by the poverty plateau, defining the latter as the band of earnings for each family type within which there is entitlement to means-tested benefits including rent allowances, rent rebates and rate rebates, and as a result of which spending power and living standards are only loosely related to gross earnings.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI am not sure what exactly my hon. Friend has in mind. He may find, however, that my reply to the right hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) on 18 January—[Vol. 16, c.73–75.]—gives him the kind of information he is seeking in relation to families in 1977. I hope that an analysis of data from the 1979 Family Expenditure Survey will be ready in a few weeks 41W and that this will provide more detailed information about those theoretically subject to "marginal tax rates" of 75 per cent. or more.