§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of people in Scotland with incomes less than half the average income after housing costs(a) in 1979 and (b) in 1988; and what percentage of the Scottish population this represented in each year.
§ Mr. Allan StewartIt is not possible to provide the requested information, except at disproportionate cost. Analyses for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England showing the number of households, by decile group below median household incomes, for the periods 1980–1982 and 1983–85, are given in the publication "Households and Families Below Average Income: A Regional Analysis 1980–1985". This study was commissioned from the Institute for Fiscal Studies by the House of Commons Social Services Committee. The publication is available from the Library.