§ Ms CorstonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross and net disposable average income for a family of two adults and two dependent children including one earner; and what was the combined average income entitlement to income support of such a family in Bristol, and in Great Britain, for each year since 1987. [15397]
§ Mrs. Angela KnightThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Ms Jean Corston, dated 25 February 1997:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as the Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question on gross and net disposable average income of a family.Data from the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) for the average gross normal weekly household income and average net disposable household income in 1993,1994–95 and 1995–96 for Great Britain are shown below in current prices. Data for earlier years could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The FES is not designed to provide for areas smaller than standard statistical regions, so data for Bristol are not available.The FES records receipt of income support, not entitlement. I am advised by DSS statisticians that it is not possible to produce meaningful comparable figures for average income support entitlement. In the particular case of a family consisting of two married or cohabiting adults with two dependent children, there would be no entitlement to income support if one of the adults were working for 16 hours or more.
Average weekly household income of households consisting of one man, one woman and two dependent children where there is one person who is self employed or a full-time employee Great Britain Gross income £ Net disposable income £ 1993 517 405 1994–95 529 411 1995–96 520 401 The figures are subject to sampling variations (which could affect the estimates by up to £30 either way); and have been rounded to the nearest pound.