HC Deb 13 May 1999 vol 331 c210W
Mr. Field

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the current tax year(a) the number of people in work whose marginal income tax rate will be 10 per cent., (b) the number of people in work whose marginal income tax rate will be 23 per cent. and (c) the proportion of group (b) whose marginal income tax rate would have been 20 per cent. had the income tax rates remained the same and the thresholds been increased in line with statutory indexation only. [83761]

Dawn Primarolo

Estimated numbers of people in work with 10 per cent. and 23 per cent. marginal tax rates in 1999–2000 are shown in the table.

Marginal rate (%) Numbers (million)
(a) 10 1.4
(b) 23 18.4

Around 3.3 million of those with a 23 per cent. marginal rate would have had a marginal rate of 20 per cent. had income tax rates remained the same as in 1998–99. However, these are people with taxable incomes of between £1,500 and £4,500 and overall they will pay between £150 and £60 less income tax per year as a result of the introduction of the lop starting rate.