§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer in 1983–84 of replacing the wife's earnings allowance and separate earnings assessment by a new earnings allowance of £1,000 plus 10 per cent. of the wife's earnings.
§ Mr. RidleyThis complex proposal cannot be costed precisely, but it is thought that overall there would be a net yield—not cost—of the order of £500 million in a full year. This takes no account of the cost to the Inland Revenue or employers of administering such a system.