§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the proportion of income taxpayers falling into the higher-rate and basic-rate bands, by region, for the last full year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 27 June 1989]: The table gives estimates of the proportion of tax units (married couples and single people) with liability to income tax for 1986–87, the latest available year, at basic rate only and at higher rates. The estimates are based on a sample survey, and their reliability is limited by the size of the sample available, particularly in regions where the total number of taxpayers is relatively small such as Northern Ireland and East Anglia.
Proportion of taxpaying tax units liable to tax at: Region Basic rate only Higher rates Per cent. Per cent. North 96.3 3.7 Yorkshire and Humberside 95.7 4.3 North West 95.7 4.3 East Midlands 95.9 4.1 West Midlands 96.4 3.6 East Anglia 95.6 4.4 South East 91.9 8.1 South West 95.0 5.0 Wales 95.7 4.3 Scotland 95.4 4.6 Northern Ireland 93.9 6.1