§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of people earning (a) over £100,000 per annum, (b) over £500,000 per annum and (c) over £1 million per annum, for each year from 1979–80 to 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [108978]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 8 February 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Matthew Taylor, dated 9 February 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question regarding the number of people earning over £100,000 per annum, over £500,000 per annum and over £1 million per annum, for each year from 1979–80 to 1999–2000.The new Earnings Survey (NES), carried out in April of each year, is a 1 per cent. sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes. It does not capture information relating to the self-employed. However, I am only able to provide estimates of the percentage of employees whose earnings lie within specified ranges, rather than numbers, because appropriate factors to gross the survey results to accommodate this sample frame are not currently available. Additionally, I am unable to provide data for financial years prior to 1997–98 since estimates of annual earnings are not available. Data for the 1999–2000 financial year will be available when the NES 2000 is published in November of this year.The available information, from the 1998 and 1999 New Earnings Survey, is presented in the attached table.
Employees on adult rates, who have been in the same job for at least 12 months Percentage with annual earnings in excess of £100,000 £500,000 £1 million 1997–98 Full-time employees 0.4 0.0 0.0 Part-time employees 0.0 0.0 0.0 All employees 0.3 0.0 0.0 1998–99 Full-time employees 0.6 0.0 0.0 Part-time employees 0.0 0.0 0.0 All employees 0.4 0.0 0.0 Source:
New Earnings Survey (GB)