§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total number of people employed in nationalised industries in 1979 and at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MajorAt mid-1979 the figure was 1,849,000 and at mid-1988, 798,000. Of the fall of over 1 million, around 580,000 is attributable to the privatisation of either whole nationalised industries or various subsidiaries.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue loss in(a) basic rate and (b) higher rate tax in the current financial year of allowing husbands to set off the wife's earned income allowance against her unearned income where her earned income is less than the allowance; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing by range of income the gain to one and two-earner families above and below pensionable age.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 3 November 1988]The direct revenue cost of allowing wives' investment income to be set against the wife's earned income allowance would be about £200 million at current income levels. This estimate makes no allowance for any change in taxpayers' behaviour or for any consequent reduction in the composite rate of tax. Estimates of the distributional effects of the proposal are not readily available, but it is expected that just over a half of the cost would arise from income currently taxed as the higher rate.
520W
§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the tax threshold as a percentage of average earnings for 1979, 1984 and 1988 for a married couple with two children.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe information requested for a married man is given in the table. In the years shown, tax thresholds are unaffected by the number of children.
Tax threshold at current prices £ 1 Tax threshold as a percentage of average earnings for all occupations Per cent. 1979–80 1,815 31.9 1984–85 3,155 32.8 1988–892 4,095 31.0 1 Full time males paid at adult rates working a full week. 2 Provisional, assuming male average earnings of £254.1 per week.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will bring up to date table 3 in annex 4 to the Green Paper on the "Reform of Personal Taxation" (Cmnd. 9756) to take account of his proposed modifications and current incomes and allowances, with the income bands in annual terms;
(2) whether he will bring up to date table 5 in annex 4 to the Green Paper on the "Reform of Personal Taxation" (Cmnd. 9756) to take account of his proposed modifications and current incomes and allowances, with the income bands in annual terms.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI regret that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many wives have claimed the whole or a part of their husband's (i) married man's and (ii) personal income tax allowances in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron), on 12 April at column62.