§ Mr. Rookerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the factors which led to his Budget judgment that the personal income tax allowance and the age allowance should not both be increased above indexation levels.
§ Mr. Moore[pursuant to his reply, 4 April 1984, c. 541–42]: The age allowance is significantly higher than the basic income tax thresholds and keeps about 60 per cent. of elderly households out of liability to tax. My right hon. Friend decided it was right this year to use every spare penny we had in hand to raise the basic thresholds, which are widely agreed to be too low.