HC Deb 17 April 1985 vol 77 c170W
Sir Brandon Rhys Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of married families with two children and earnings of (a) £100 or less per week and (b) £120 or less per week in April 1984 distinguishing if possible between one and two-earner families.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

The most recent information which relates household composition, the number of persons in a household working and income, comes from the 1983 "Family Expenditure Survey".

The following table shows in percentage terms the numbers of households comprising one man, one woman and two children, with various numbers of workers and at various levels of income.

Percentage of all households comprising one man, one woman and two children with the following characteristics:

Number of workers†
None One Two
Gross weekly household income*
Less than £100 4 3 1
Less than £120 5 6 2
Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1983‡*
* Comprising income from employment or self-employment, together with income from investments and social security benefits. The inputed income attributable to owner occupancy or living in rent free accommodation is also included.
† Covering both pan-time and full-time employment. Also included are those temporarily absent from work and those unemployed but still seeking work (provided they were employed within the last twelve months).
‡ The Family Expenditure Survey is based on a sample of households, of which 939 out of the 6,973 covered in the 1983 survey comprised one man, one woman and two children.

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