§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he makes, on the best available evidence, of the numbers of persons, and the percentage of the total population, who were living on incomes less than 60 per cent. of the national average in 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1990, or in those years nearest to these dates where the relevant information is available.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 6 December 1990]: Information in precisely the form requested is available only for the years for which "Households Below Average Income"—HBAI—has been published. Other information is available for earlier years, but the methodologies and
Source HBAI RoI RoI FES Report Equivalised household Income measure disposable Household disposable Household final Household gross Unit analysed Persons Households Households Households Coverage Great Britain United Kingdom United Kingdom United Kingdom Percentage with less than 60 per cent, of mean income 1987 (13.8 million people) 25.5 — — — 1985 (10.9 million people) 20.1 34 — — 1980 (9.4 million people) 17.81 30 — — 1975 — 28 27 — 1970 — — 28 28 1965–66 — — — 26 1960–61 — — — 26 1 Average of figures for 1979 and 1981