§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the value of the supplementary benefit scale rates, excluding payment for housing costs, for a couple with two children, one aged under five years and one aged five to 10 years, as a proportion of average net male earnings for each year since 1971.
§ Mr. MajorThe information requested is given in the following table.
Date* Scale rates as percentage of average net male earnings†‡ September 1971 47.0 October 1972 45.5 October 1973 45.5 July 1974 47.6 April 1975 46.7 November 1975 48.6 November 1976 50.0 November 1977 50.4 November 1978 45.9 November 1979 46.0 November 1980 47.2 November 1981 47.6 November 1982 49.2 November 1983 47.5 November 1984║ 45.7 * Dates scale rates up-rated. † From and including November 1979 an age-related heating addition in respect of a child under five years of age is included ‡ Net average weekly earnings are the estimates of gross weekly full-time earnings of adult males (aged 21 and over up to November 1982 and from November 1983 all males on adult rates) whose earnings are not affected by absence, less tax and national insurance contributions at the non-contracted out rate plus Family Allowance/Child Benefit (which is off-set against the supplementary benefit scale rates). ║ Provisional.