asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes in income distribution have been produced by Government policy since last May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of families who are now worse and better off, respectively, as a result of financial measures which he has taken and the recent changes in mortgage and other interest rates.

The effect on different households of the Government's measures will vary according to individual circumstances. However, the living standards of every family in the land depend on the long-term performance of the economy as a whole, and the Government's economic policy is designed to create the conditions in which that performance is most likely to improve.