asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will circulate in the Official Reporta table showing for each band in the taxation

		Estimated number of tax units liable to tax
Range of total income in 1979–80		Total '000	Proportion claiming mortgage interest relief Per cent.	Average per mortgagor of mortgage interest qualifying for relief (£)	Average per mortgagor of additional qualifying interest, net of tax relief, for 1 per cent. increase in interest rates (£)
Under 2,000	…	1,600	1	460	35
2,000–10,000	…	18,000	24	730	40
10,000–12,000	…	800	60	1,050	55
12,000–16,000	…	600	62	1,250	65
16,000–20,000	…	200	58	1,580	70
Over 20,000	…	200	49	2,250	80
All ranges	…	21,400	25	830	45

The average amount of mortgage to which the mortgage interest shown relates is not known precisely.The interest rates recommended by the council of the Building Societies Association tend to be among the lowest rates charged on new mortgages. When the Government came into office the recommended rate was 11¾per cent. and the prospective rate from January 1980 is 15 per cent. In January 1976 the recommended rate was 11 per cent., and subsequent changes in the rate are given below together with the dates thereof.

		per cent.
April 1976	…	10½
October 1976	…	12¼
April 1977	…	11¼
June 1977	…	10½
September 1977	…	9½
January 1978 8	…	8½
June 1978	…	9¾
November 1978	…	11¾
January 1980	…	15