The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1983-1987 Parliament

Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure – 15 January 1987

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure on 15th January 1987.


Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he now makes of the cumulative effect on public expenditure (a) in aggregate and (b) broken down by component of changes in social security each year since 1979.

Mr. Major Information on the increase in public expenditure on social security since 1979-80 is set out in successive public expenditure White Papers. Information for 1979-80 is given in table 3.12 of “the Government’s Expenditure Plans 1986-87 to 1987-88” (Cmnd. 9428) and similar information for 1980-81 is contained in table 3.15 of “The Government’s Expenditure Plans 1986-87 to 1988-89” (Cmnd. 9702). For 1981-82 and succeeding years, the information can be found in table 3.15 of “The Government’s Expenditure Plans 1987-88 to 1989-90” (Cmnd. 56).