Personal Allowances

Mr. Ralph Howell
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table similar to that given in reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker), Official Report, 24th April, column 438, but assuming a family with children aged 17 and 15 years.

Mr. Robert Sheldon
The figures are as follows: --------------
|        | | |
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|1946    |…|…|
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|1950    |…|…|
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|1955    |…|…|
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|1960    |…|…|
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|1965    |…|…|
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|1970    |…|…|
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|1971    |…|…|
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|1972    |…|…|
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|1973    |…|…|
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|1974    |…|…|
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|1975    |…|…|
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|1976    |…|…|
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|1977    |…|…|
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|1978:   | | |||
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|April   |…|…|
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|November|…|…|
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The figures have been calculated on the same basis as those in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security to my hon. Friend the Member for Perry Barr on 24th April
 
 1978—[Vol. 948, c.

438–40]—except that the ages of the children have been taken to be 17 and 15. It has been assumed that both children are undergoing full-time education.

The retail prices index for April 1978 has been used to express the figure for April 1978 at October 1977 prices. Had the index for March 1978 been used, as in the previous reply, the figure in column (b) would have been £16·14 per week.