HC Deb 01 February 1989 vol 146 cc225-6W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average wage(a) for the United Kingdom and (b) in the Nottingham area; and what is the total tax burden in each case for each of the years from 1979 to date.

Mr. Norman Lamont

The information requested for Great Britain was provided to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 10 January 1989 at columns 633–56. Data for average earnings in Nottinghamshire are available for April each year in the new earnings survey. They are as follows, with estimates of the implied burden of income tax and NICs. No data are available which would permit any estimates of the burden of indirect taxes to be made.

Income tax and NICs as

percentage of average earnings
April Average

earnings

(£ per week)

 Single person Married man, no children
1978 88.50 31.1 27.2
1979 101.50 29.2 25.5
1980 122.60 30.3 26.7
1981 138.40 32.0 28.8
1982 147.80 32.6 29.2
1983 158.40 32.5 28.8
1984 164.30 32.0 27.9
1985 174.70 31.7 27.6
1986 194.40 31.3 27.5
1987 210.20 30.0 26.6
1988 227.30 28.5 25.3

Notes:

  1. 1. Average earnings are taken to be the average gross weekly earnings of all full-time males on adult rates with pay unaffected by absence in Nottinghamshire.
  2. 2. Income tax payments are calculated on the assumption that the tax units have no other tax reliefs apart from the standard allowances. Earners are assumed to pay class 1 NI contributions at the contracted in rate. The figures for NI contributions are financial year averages.