§ Mr. LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the figures for the(a) GDP per head and (b) highest family income for those children termed as living in poverty in the UK according to the recent UNICEF report in each of the last 21 years. [129026]
§ Mr. BayleyThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Over the period 1979 to 1997 GDP per head grew by 40 per cent. whereas the highest equivalised household income of a child in poverty grew by only 30 per cent.
£ per annum Year GDP per head1 Highest equivalised househole income of a child in poverty (as defined by UNICEF)2 1979 9,176 5,147 1980 8,961 n/a 1981 8,843 4,765 1982 9,008 n/a 1983 9,335 n/a 1984 9,539 n/a 1985 9,871 n/a 1986 10,257 n/a 1987 10,683 5,631 1988 11,207 5,799 1989 11,408 5,813 1990 11,440 5,820 1991 11,221 6,094 1992 11,188 6,423 1993 11,411 6,521 1994 11,870 6,378 1995 12,158 6,388 1996 12,428 6,602 1997 12,819 6,756 1998 13,070 n/a 1999 n/a n/a 1Constant 1995 prices 2April 1999 prices Notes:
1. GDP per head is for the UK, taken from ONS series YBGS—Gross domestic product at market prices, shown in 1995 prices.
2. The highest household income for those children living in poverty (as defined by UNICEF) is 50 per cent. of median equivalised household income before housing costs shown for Great Britain, using data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) Series. These figures are based on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) from 1979 to 1993, and on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) from 1994–95 onwards. These are not consistent with the UK estimates contained in the UNICEF Innocent Report Card "A League Table of Child Poverty in Rich Nations", which are based on different data and methods of estimation.
3. Estimates from the FES relate to the UK while those from the FRS relate to GB. In addition, the estimates derived from the two surveys use slightly different definitions of income: FRS results therefore are not precisely comparable with those from the FES but are considered to be broadly comparable. Self-employed households have been excluded from the analysis.
4. Estimates from the Family Expenditure Survey from 1987 to 1993 are based on a two year rolling average method, and refer to combined years—for example, in the table 1987 is 1987 + 1998.
5. Estimates from the Family Resources Survey are based on data for financial years from 1994–95 onwards. For example, 1994 refers to the financial year 1994–95.
6. Estimates of 50 per cent. of median income before housing costs are based on survey data, and so will be subject to the normal problems associated with survey data including sampling variation and measurement error.
7. Figures for GDP per head and median equivalised household income are not directly comparable, as GDP per head is not equivalised, and they are shown in different price bases.
8. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1.