HC Deb 09 February 1994 vol 237 cc244-5W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures for the current tax year, showing incomes net of income tax and national insurance contribution, plus child benefit for(a) single people earning £30,000 a year, (b) single-wage married couples earning £30,000 a year, (c) two-wage married couples each spouse earning £15,000, (d) single-wage couples plus two children aged four and 10 years and plus four children aged four, 10, 13 and 15 years, again with £30,000 per family per year and (e) two-income couples plus two children and plus four children, ages as above, each spouse with £15,000; if, in each case, he will equivalise the families' net incomes, using the equivalence ratios used by the Department of Social Security in their households below average incomes analysis, but taking single people as the reference point; and if he will recalculate both sets of figures assuming that married couple's allowance had been phased out.

Mr. Dorrell

Information is given in the table. The calculation of income tax liability assumes that no reliefs or allowances other than the personal and married couple's allowance are available. All earners, including wives, are assumed to pay class 1 national insurance at the contracted-in rate. The equivalence scales used are before housing costs are deducted.

European Community's structural fund for each of the fund's objectives in the calendar year 1994, divided into payments to (a) central Government, (b) local government, (c) other public sector bodies and (d) the private sector.

Mr. Portillo

The structural funds are implemented by multi-annual programmes and the Commission has announced the United Kingdom's allocations under objectives 1, 3, 4 and 5(b) for the years 1994–1999 and under objective 2 for the years 1994–1996. The breakdown of those allocations between years will be a matter for negotiation with the Commission on the community support framework which lay down how the funds will be used.

It is not possible to say how much any sector will receive in advance of applications, for support being received from the funds and decisions taken.