§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants(a) would cease to be eligible for family credit, housing benefit and other means tests if a child tax allowance was re-introduced and set each at multiple of £100 up to an including £1,000 and (b) would cease to pay tax at each charge; if he will estimate the cost in gross and net terms of such a charge; how many tax payers would not have a high enough income to use each of the tax allowances; and if he will estimate an average amount of unused allowances for each £100 median in child tax allowances. [9935]
§ Mr. JackInformation for 1995–96 is given in the tables. It has been assumed that either partner of a married couple may use such a child tax allowance. Estimates in the tables have been produced for three of the multiples of £100. Estimates for all 10 multiples could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. WaldegraveA fall of 100,000 in unemployment in the UK is a strong signal of the fundamental strength of the UK's economy, and unemployment in the UK has fallen by 741,600 since December 1992 as a result of Government policies.
Estimating the overall numerical value of a reduction in unemployment of 100,000 requires several heroic assumptions. However, the Department of Social Security's departmental report shows that a variation in unemployment of 100,000, assuming the 100,000 have the same characteristics as the existing unemployed population, would change total expenditure on benefits paid to the unemployed by £385 million in 1995–96.