Hansard

Male Earnings

Volume 960: debated on Thursday 14 December 1978

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Mr. MacGregor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report for each financial year 1973–74 to 1978–79 (a) a figure for actual or estimated average adult male earnings,

Earnings Tax£Tax£N.I.C.£ AverageNet income including family allowance or child benefit£Net income at October £ 1978 prices £
1973–74………2,3303781361,8623,883
1974–75………2,8215201662,1823,859
1975–76………3,4487501902,5863,671
1976–77………3,9108242252,9393,619
1977–78………4,3588622513,3753,645
1978–79 (August)………4,8529683153,8353,868
Twice times average
1973–74………4,6591,0771523,4777,249
1974–75………5,6421,4511814,0587,175
1975–76………6,8952,0411974,7366,722
1976–77………7,8212,2952845,3206,551
1977–78………8,7152,3983146,1336,624
1978–79 (August)………9,7032,5704066,9957,055
Three times average
1973–74………6,9891,8681525,01610,457
1974–75………8,4632,6481815,6369,965
1975–76………10,3433,8981976,3268,980
1976–77………11,7314,3802847,0668,702
1977–78………13,0734,6913148,1988,853
1978–79 (August)………4,5554,9474069,4709,551
For 1973–74 to 1977–78 the figures are based on the averages of the new earnings survey estimates of the average earnings of full-time adult male workers at the start and finish of each tax year. To give a provisional estimate for 1978–79, the assumed level of average earnings for August has been obtained by updating the new earnings survey estimate of average earnings of full-time adult male workers in April by the whole economy index of average earnings of all employees, taking account so far as possible of seasonal movements by using a centred three-month moving average of the index. On this basis August is the latest month for which a figure is available.

(

b) the amount of tax payable on such a level of earnings by a married man with two children under 11 years of age, ( c) the amount of employee's national insurance contribution, ( d) the residual net income adjusted for child benefit, and ( e) the real purchasing power of the residual net income in terms of 1978–79 prices, together with similar figures for persons with twice and three times average earnings.

Mr. Robert Sheldon,

pursuant to his reply[Official Report, 11th December 1978; Vol. 960, c. 48], gave the following information:The figures are as follows:Comparisons between 1978–79 and previous years are affected by the use of a figure provisionally relating to August rather than to the middle of the financial year.For NIC it has been assumed that the employee was not contracted out of the earnings related or graduated pension schemes.The net income figures at the dates specified have been adjusted to the equivalent purchasing power at October 1978 prices, using the general index of retail prices—all items. It has been assumed that in 1974–75 and 1976–77 the man on three times average earnings would renounce family allowance.