§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has in respect of(a) the number of people in England and Wales paying income tax, (b) the number of spouses of (a) and (c) the number of people in England and Wales who are not paying income tax and are not the spouses of those paying taxes.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 17 December 1987]: In 1985–86, the latest year for which information by country is available, about 17.7 million single persons and married couples resident in England and Wales were liable to income tax, of whom about 9.4 million were married couples. This excludes members of Her Majesty's forces and the Merchant Navy. Records are not kept enabling fully comparable information to be compiled for non-taxpayers, but at mid-1985, the total population over 16 resident in England or Wales numbered about 39.7 million.