§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were waiting for hospital operations under the National Health Service in 1960, 1970 and 1980, respectively.
Contracted-out contributions, standard rate Earnings Employee £ per cent. Employer £ per cent. Total £ per cent. Lower Earnings Limit 1982/83 £29.50 2.58 (8.75) 4.04(13.7) 6.62 (22.4) Average earnings September 1981: a) Female manufacturing: £85.40 a week 6.07 (7.11) 9.18(10.75) 15.25 (17.86) b) Female non manufacturing: £97.90 a week 6.85 (7.00) 10.33 (10.55) 17.18(17.55) c) Male manufacturing: £140.70 a week 9.53 (6.77) 14.27 (10.14) 23.80 (16.92) d) Male non-manufacturing: £144.60 a week 9.77 (6.76) 14.63(10.12) 24.40 (16.87) Upper Earnings Limit 1982/83 £220 a week 14.49 (6.59) 21.57 (9.80) 36.06 (16.39)
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost in a full year of a reduction of three percentage points in the employees' contribution to national insurance on the basis of the latest earnings figures.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA three percentage point reduction in the standard rate of class 1 primary national insurance contribution would result in a reduction of contribution income of £3, 316 million for 1982–83, on the basis of the earnings assumptions used in the report by the Government Actuary on the "Financial Provisions of the Social Security (Contributions) Bill 1981", cmnd. 8443.