§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the average household income for each region in descending order for each of the past 10 years; [110207]
(2) if he will list the percentage of household incomes derived from social security benefits in each region of the UK in descending order. [110211]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 15 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. Chris Ruane, dated 16 February 2000:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary questions on average household incomes and the percentage of household incomes derived from social security benefit.The attached table shows information from the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) for the period 1992 to 1998–99. Data for earlier years are not readily available and are for two-year periods.Like all estimates from sample surveys, these figures are subject to sampling variability, so while general trends can be seen, care should be taken in interpreting short-term changes in the data. In 1998–99, for example, in most regions the true average is unlikely to differ from the estimate by more than 7 per cent either way, but in Northern Ireland it may be 15 per cent either way and in the North West 13 per cent, both areas having small samples. In the Rest of the South East, however, the range is only 5 per cent either way. Standard Statistical Regions (SSRs) are used for England because data are not available for Government Office Regions for the earlier years.The FES shows the proportions of household income derived from social security benefit for 1996–1999 as follows.
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SSRs and UK countries Proportion of gross income deriving from social security benefits Northern Ireland 22 Wales 19 North 18 Scotland 16 North West 15 Yorkshire and Humberside 15 West Midlands 14 East Midlands 13 United Kingdom 13 England 12 South West 12 East Anglia 12 Greater London 10 Rest of South East 9 These figures are also subject to sampling variability. Data for 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 have therefore been combined to reduce this variability. In most regions the true figure for each percentage is unlikely to differ from the estimate by more than 1½ percentage points either way. In Northern Ireland the range is 3½ percentage points each way but in the Rest of the South East less than 1. SSRs are used for England because data are not available for Government Office Regions for the earlier years requested in the average household income question.
Technical note
The ranges quoted are the 90% confidence intervals. There is only a one-in-ten chance that the true figure lies outside this estimated range.
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Average gross weekly household income by Standard Statistical Region and UK country ranked in descending order, 1992 to
1998–99
£ Gross Income 1992 Rest of South East 420 Greater London 390 England 350 East Anglia 350 South West 350 East Midlands 340 United Kingdom 340 North West 320 Scotland 310 West Midlands 300 Yorks and Humber 300 Wales 290 North 290 Northern Ireland 270 1993 Greater London 430 Rest of South East 420 England 360 United Kingdom 350 East Anglia 350 East Midlands 340 North West 340 Scotland 330 South West 330 Northern Ireland 330 Yorks and Humber 320 Wales 310 West Midlands 300 North 290 1994–95 Rest of South East 440 Greater London 440 South West 380 England 380 United Kingdom 370 East Midlands 370 Scotland 360 Northern Ireland 350 East Anglia 350 Yorks and Humber 340 North West 340 West Midlands 320 North 300 Wales 280 1995–96 Greater London 450 Rest of South East 440 East Midlands 390 South West 390 England 390 United Kingdom 380
Average gross weekly household income by Standard Statistical Region and UK country ranked in descending order, 1992 to
1998–99
£ Gross Income Wales 360 North West 360 East Anglia 350 West Midlands 350 Yorks and Humber 340 North 340 Scotland 340 Northern Ireland 300 1996–97 Rest of South East 480 Greater London 450 England 400 South West 400 East Anglia 400 United Kingdom 400 North West 380 East Midlands 370 Scotland 370 Yorks and Humber 360 West Midlands 360 Wales 360 North 330 Northern Ireland 320 1997–98 Rest of South East 510 Greater London 490 England 430 South West 420 United Kingdom 420 East Midlands 420 West Midlands 410 North West 400 East Anglia 390 Scotland 370 Yorks and Humber 360 Wales 350 North 350 Northern Ireland 340 1998–99 Greater London 540 Rest of South East 540 England 460 East Anglia 450 United Kingdom 450 West Midlands 430 Yorks and Humber 430 South West 410 North West 410 East Midlands 410 North 410 Scotland 380 Wales 360 Northern Ireland 360 Note:
ONS, Family Expenditure Surveys 1992 to 1998–99 © Crown copy"right" 2000