asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, c. 299–300. concerning the trading profits for farmers for tax purposes (a) what is the value of the principal reliefs given to agricultural companies, (b whether and to what extent the gross profit of individuals is struck after payment of rent, imputed rent on owner-occupied land, interest charges and payments to wives and (c) how many wives are counted separately from their husbands; and what is the gross profit made by wives in each range of gross profit.
The value of the principal reliefs given to agricultural companies, was as follows:
| Accounting periods ending in the financial year to: | ||
| 31 March 1978 £ million | 31 March 1979 £ million | |
| Capital Allowances | 120 | 150 |
| Stock Relief | 50 | 55 |
(2) what was the proportion of those at work who paid higher rates of tax than the standard rate in 1953, 1963, 1973 and at the latest convenient date.
The available information from the Inland Revenue's survey of personal incomes, which covers all people for whom income tax records are held, is shown in the following table. It relates to those under 65 years of age who do not receive a pension. Married couples are counted as one. Information in this form for 1953–54 is not available. Figures for 1981–82 are provisional and are based on projections from the 1979–80 survey of personal incomes.
| Income Tax Year 1978–79 | ||
| Range of gross profit (lower limit) £ | Wives '000 | Gross profit £ million |
| NIL | 3 | — |
| 1 | 9 | 4 |
| 1,000 | 5 | 6 |
| 1,500 | 4 | 7 |
| 2,000 | 4 | 9 |
| 2,500 | 3 | 8 |
| 3,000 | 3 | 11 |
| 3,500 | 2 | 9 |
| 4,000 | 2 | 8 |
| 4,500 | 1 | 7 |
| 5,000 | 3 | 15 |
| 6,000 | 2 | 11 |
| 7,000 | 2 | 15 |
| 8,000 | 1 | 12 |
| 10,000 | 1 | 15 |
| 12,000 | 1 | 14 |
| 15,000 | 1 | 12 |
| 20,000 and over | 1 | 26 |
| — | — | |
| All ranges | 49 | 189 |