asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the tax thresholds for (a) a single person aged 65 years and over and (b) a married pensioner couple one of whom is aged 65 years and over, in 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970 and each subsequent year, expressed both in actual money terms and also in current money equivalents.
The figures are as follows:
| INCOME TAX THRESHOLD FOR PERSONS OVER 65 | |||
| (a) Single Persons | |||
| Year | (i) actual | (ii) Expressed at 1978–79 prices | |
| £ | £ | ||
| 1950–51 | … | 138 | 755 |
| 1955–56 | … | 180 | 804 |
| 1960–61 | … | 275 | 1,097 |
| 1965–66 | … | 390 | 1,315 |
| 1970–71 | … | 475 | 1,268 |
| 1971–72 | … | 504 | 1,231 |
| 1972–73 | … | 634 | 1,446 |
| 1973–74 | … | 700 | 1,446 |
| 1974–75 | … | 810 | 1,419 |
| 1975–76 | … | 950 | 1,335 |
| 1976–77 | … | 1,010 | 1,232 |
| 1977–78 | … | 1,250 | 1,337 |
| 1978–79 | … | 1,300 | 1,300 |
| (see below) | |||
| (b) Married Couples | |||
| Year | (i) actual | (ii) Expressed at 1978–79 prices | |
| £ | £ | ||
| 1950–51 | … | 225 | 1,231 |
| 1955–56 | … | 309 | 1,381 |
| 1960–61 | … | 440 | 1,755 |
| 1965–66 | … | 625 | 2,108 |
| 1970–71 | … | 740 | 1,976 |
| 1971–72 | … | 786 | 1,920 |
| 1972–73 | … | 929 | 2,119 |
| 1973–74 | … | 1,000 | 2,066 |
| 1974–75 | … | 1,170 | 2,050 |
| 1975–76 | … | 1,425 | 2,003 |
| 1976–77 | … | 1,555 | 1,897 |
| 1977–78 | … | 1,975 | 2,113 |
| 1978–79 | … | 2,075 | 2,075 |
| (see below) | |||
a) for years from 1965–66 the general index of retail prices; and ( b) for earlier years the index of prices of consumer goods and services given for the calendar years in table 2 of the CSO publication "The Internal Purchasing Power of the Pound" adjusted to a financial year basis. It has been assumed that prices rise by 7 per cent. between 1977–78 and 1978–79.
The allowances for 1977–78 include the increase in October 1977 which anticipated the indexation requirements for 1978–79 provided for in the Finance Act 1977. The figures assume entitlement to age exemption—introduced in 1957—or age allowance—introduced in 1975 in place of age exemption—for the relevant years.