asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the Official Reporta table showing the number of men and women paying national insurance contributions at the full rate and at each other rate, together with the estimated cost in each case of exempting the first £2,335 of income in calculating the employee's contribution liability.
The information on the average number of class 1 contributors in 1986–87 is as follows:
| Great Britain: Millions | |||
| Employees' not contracted out Contribution Rates Per cent. | Males | Females | Total |
| 5·00 | 0·3 | 1·1 | 1·4 |
| 7·00 | 0·6 | 1·5 | 2·1 |
| 9·00 | 10·5 | 3·6 | 14·1 |
| Optants 3·85 | — | 1·2 | 1·2 |
| Total | 11·4 | 7·4 | 18·8 |
| Employees' Contribution Rates | £ billion (Great Britain) (1986–87) |
| Per cent | |
| 5·00 | 0·2 |
| 7·00 | 0·3 |
| 9·00 | 2·9 |
| Optants 3·85 | 0·1 |
| Total | 3·5 |
Notes:
In assessing the effect of exempting the first £2,335 of income from employees' contributions, it has been assumed that employees would not pay primary class 1 contributions on the first £44·75 of their weekly earnings.
In deriving these estimates, it has been assumed that the contracted-out rebate would apply to the contribution rates of contracted-out employees on earnings between £44·75 and £285 per week (the upper earnings limit).
All estimates are based on the assumptions used in the report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order 1986 and the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) (No. 2) Order 1986 (Cm 24).