§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of children which his policies have lifted out of poverty between 1997–98 and 2000–01, based on a poverty line of(a) 50 per cent. of mean income 382W rates; and how many (a) paid no tax before the Budget and (b) are paying no tax after the Budget. [117517]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 4 April 2000]: Only around 40 per cent. of pensioners currently have any income tax to pay. Estimates for the number of pensioners by different marginal rates are given in the table:
before housing costs, (b) 50 per cent. of mean income after housing costs, (c) 60 per cent. of median income before housing costs and (d) 60 per cent. of median income after housing costs, indicating in each case the cash value of each threshold. [123716]
§ Dawn PrimaroloBased on a threshold of 60 per cent. of median income, after housing costs, there will be a total of 1.2 million children in households lifted out of poverty as a result of measures announced this Parliament. Figures for this and for other proportions of the median are given in Box 5.1 on page 86 of the Budget 2000 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report.
A threshold at 50 per cent. of mean income would be very similar to the 60 per cent. of median income threshold used above. Any difference in results using this threshold would be rendered insignificant by the sampling and estimating errors involved in these calculations.
The number of children lifted out of poverty before housing costs is similar to the after housing costs figures. As before, the differences are small and rendered insignificant by the sampling and estimating errors involved. However, as the number of children in poverty in 1997–98 was lower before housing costs, the proportional reduction in child poverty arising from Budget measures would be greater.
Latest statistics on household incomes (covering 1997–98) can be found in "Households below average incomes 1994–95 to 1997–98" published by he Department of Social Security.