§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) working families with children and (b) childless people in work had incomes below the tax threshold at the latest date for which information is available.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 3 March 1988]: The table provides an estimate, derived from family expenditure survey data, of the number of single people and married couples with full or part-time earnings in 1988–89 for whom allowances and reliefs exceed their income. Also shown are the number of married women estimated to have earnings below the wife's earned income allowance but whose husbands pay income tax.
Thousands of lax units of working age With children Without children With one earner but not paying income tax 400 750 With two earners but not paying income tax 75 50 Paying income tax but where the wife earns below the wife's earned income allowance 1,300 575