§ Mr. LesterTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how would his estimate of the number of working families affected by marginal tax rates of over 40 per cent. be affected if take up of family credit and housing benefit were 100 per cent. and if the effects of the parental contribution to student grants were also taken into account.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe information requested in the first part of the question is not available. Any overlap between families with children on income-related benefits and parents making a contribution to mandatory awards is likely to be negligible. Questions concerning parental contributions to mandatory grants are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.