§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of general and pensioner household expenditure is formed by housing cost; and if this has changed over the past two years.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe family expenditure survey shows the following proportions of pensioner household expenditure and total household expenditure formed by housing costs for the last three available years.
Housing Costs* as percentage of total expenditure Pensioners Households† All Households 1 person 2 persons 1978 26.2 15.4 14.8 1979 24.7 15.5 14.6 1980‡ 26.8 17.0 15.0 Notes: * Comprises rent and rates (net of rebates), imported rent of owner-occupied housing and those living rent-free, water and sewage charges and expenditure on insurance of structure, repairs, maintenance and decorating. † A "pensioner" household is defined as one in which at least three-quarters of the total income of the household is derived from national Insurance retirement and similar pensions, including benefits paid in supplement to, or instead of, such pensions. The two-person households comprise one man and one woman. ‡ Results for the family expenditure survey for 1980 will be published very shortly.