HC Deb 06 March 1984 vol 55 cc501-2W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to the reply dated 18 January concerning investment income, Official Report, c. 217–18, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1982–83 the proportion of the tax units in each case which also benefited from mortgage interest relief or if such data are not readily available, the proportion of the tax units in each of these income bands in each class which benefited from such relief.

Mr. Moore

Estimates, based on projections from the survey of personal incomes for 1981–82, are given in the following table for single people and married couples aged under 65. Since only about 3 per cent. of taxpayers aged over 65 with investment income obtained mortgage interest tax relief, it is unfortunately not possible to estimate their distribution by income range with acceptable accuracy. These figures do not take account of taxpayers who obtained the option mortgage subsidy in 1982–83.

Tax units with investment income in 1982–83 percentage of each income band benefitting from mortgage interest relief
Range of total income Under 65 single persons Under 65 married one-earner Under 65 married two-earners
(lower limit) per cent. per cent. per cent.
1,800 2 4 4
2,000 5 17 22

Range of total income Under 65 single persons Under 65 married one-earner Under 65 married two-earners
(lower limit) per cent. per cent. per cent.
3,000 7 18 16
4,000 8 37 36
5,000 11 23 30
6,00 025 50 35
7,000 26 52 40
8,000 31 54 40
9,000 49 69 47
10,000 53 65 62
12,000 45 69 67
15,000 45 74 75
20,000 52 76 76
30,000 46 73 65

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the reply dated 18 January concerning investment income, Official Report, c. 217–18, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1982–83 the proportion of the tax units in each case which also benefited from life assurance relief or, if such data are not readily available, a proportion of the tax units in each of these income bands in each class which benefited from such relief.

Mr. Moore

Life assurance premium relief has been given at source since 1979–80. It is not therefore possible to estimate from Inland Revenue information the distribution of taxpayer's benefiting from this relief. Information in the detail requested is unfortunately not available from other sources.