To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of women who have earnings below (a) the tax threshold and (b) the national insurance threshold, broken down into married women, lone parents and single women at the latest date.

Broad estimates, based on the new earnings survey and estimates of the number of employees in employment, are that in April 1991 there were 21 million women employees earning less than the PAYE threshold, of whom 21 million earned less than the national insurance lower earnings limit. Using projections from the family expenditure survey, it is estimated that approximately 75 per cent. of each of these categories were married women, 5 per cent. lone parents and 20 per cent. single women.