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Mr. Colvin
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average cost to the Exchequer in terms of social security and other payments, and lost income tax and other receipts, of an unemployed school leaver and a married man with two children.
Mr. Jim Lester
[pursuant to his reply, 6 May 1980, c. 3]: In order to estimate the cost to the Exchequer of a person who is unemployed it would be necessary to make a whole series of assumptions about his employment income and family circumstances. For an illustration of this point, my hon. Friend may wish to refer to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Foulkes) on 18 January.—[Vol. 976, c. 893–94.]