The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Author: admin

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Privatisation – 9 July 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Privatisation on 9th July 1987.

    Mr. Stott Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of receipts from privatisation for the year 1987-88.

    Mr. Major £5 billion.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Economic Growth – 9 July 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Economic Growth on 9th July 1987.

    Mr. Wilkinson Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the growth of economic output in the United Kingdom since 1983 compares with that of other major industrialised countries.

    Mr. Major Since 1983 output in the United Kingdom has grown faster than in any other major European economy.

    Mr. John Hunt Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the growth of the output in the economy.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the growth of output in the economy.

    Mr. Major Measured at 1980 prices, the average estimate of gross domestic product at factor cost is provisionally estimated to have risen by 3.5 per cent. in the year to the first quarter of 1987.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unit Labour Costs – 9 July 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unit Labour Costs on 9th July 1987.

    Sir Anthony Meyer Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the growth of unit labour costs.

    Mr. Major In the fourth quarter of 1986, wages and salaries per unit of output in the whole economy were 5.2 per cent. above the corresponding period of 1985. In the manufacturing sector, in the three months to April 1987, wages and salaries per unit of output were 0.9 per cent. above the corresponding period a year earlier.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Overseas Assets – 7 July 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Overseas Assets on 7th July 1987.

    Mr. Cohen Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1979 the total of United Kingdom-owned assets overseas, broken down by country and into figures for the public and private sectors.

    Mr. Major Estimates of United Kingdom owned assets overseas are published in the annual Pink Book, “United Kingdom Balance of Payments”, copies of which are in the Library. The 1986 edition showed summary information in table 1.2 each year between 1966 and 1985, distinguishing public sector and private sector assets; further details are shown in section 9. Figures for end-1986 will be published in August and are expected to show total overseas assets net of liabilities of around £110 billion.

    An analysis of total overseas assets by country is not available. However, details of the book value of direct investment assets analysed by country were published in an article in the 22 May 1987 issue of “British Business”. These figures are collected only every three years, the latest relating to end-1984. Also, information on United Kingdom banks’ overseas claims, by country, is published quarterly in table 14 of the Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin. Copies of these publications are in the Library.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Afforestation – 6 July 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Afforestation on 6th July 1987.

    Dr. David Clark Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what return to the nation is expected for new afforestation proposals made by the Forestry Commission; and if he will publish any guidelines on this subject which have been issued by his Department to the Forestry Commission.

    Mr. Major The overall financial targets set for the Forestry Commission are to achieve an overall return, in real terms, of 3 per cent. on its forest estate and 5 per cent. on its commercial recreation investment. It also has objectives in the fields of rural employment, recreation and the environment. The commission’s performance over the period from 1982 to 1987 will be reviewed later in the year when the accounts for 1986-87 are completed and performance targets for the next three years will then be set.

  • Mr Major’s Statement on The Growing Divide Book – 9 June 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s statement on The Growing Divide Book. The text was issued by Conservative Central Office, news release 543/87 on Tuesday 9 June 1987.

    JOHN MAJOR:

    The authors [of The Growing Divide] have not compared like with like. Their figures for real disposable income in 1979 include housing benefit, but their figures for 1985 do not include it. This is either incompetence or a shameless distortion. But in either event it totally destroys their conclusion. It reduces their tract to a political essay which manipulates the statistical evidence to reach a false conclusion.
    Moreover, the authors’ conclusions do not square with those of the Central Statistical Office’s published income distribution figures. The fact is that the average income of the poorest fifth of the population has risen since 1979 – in sharp contrast to what could be expected under a Labour government which was already pledged to raise taxes and cut allowances even for the poorest.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners – 15 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners on 15th May 1987.

    Mr. Deakins Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of giving single pensioners with no other sources of income an extra £5 per week and pensioner couples £8 per week assuming no change in social security benefits.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 28 April 1987, c. 113]: Information is not available on the net cost of such a change. The basic retirement pension is not paid on an income-related basis, and no firm estimate is available of the numbers of pensioners for whom it is the sole source of income. Most pensioners who have little more than the basic pension would be entitled to supplementary pension and housing benefit. About 375,000 single pensioners and 25,000 pensioner couples who receive supplementary pension have no significant source of income other than their basic retirement pension and supplementary pension/housing benefit. It would cost about £110 million gross to increase retirement pension by £5 or £8 to this group. Assuming supplementary pension and housing benefit levels remained unchanged, the net cost of such an increase in retirement pension would be substantially less. An accurate estimate could be made only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 15 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 15th May 1987.

    Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why, in the light of the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 22 April, Official Report, column 596, the revised draft housing benefit regulations have not yet been made available to local authorities; and if he will make a statement;
    (2) if he is considering deferring the implementation date for the new housing benefit scheme for April 1988 until a later date; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) today.

    Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to lay regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms.

    Mr. Fowler [pursuant to the reply, 22 April 1987, c. 596]: As explained in the earlier reply, the regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms will be laid before Parliament when the Government’s proposals on benefit rates are finalised in the autumn.
    Revised draft regulations on the detailed structure of the new scheme will be issued to all local authorities on Monday 18 May following consultation on the earlier drafts. These regulations set out firm proposals on the detailed structure required for local authorities to prepare for implementation of the scheme in April 1988. Copies of the draft regulations will be placed in the Library.

    The draft regulations confirm that from April 1988 the Government expect everyone who is liable to pay domestic rates to make a minimum contribution of 20 per cent. of their rates bill. However, when the rates for income support are set in the autumn, they will include the average amount that we expect householders who are income support claimants to have to meet as their minimum contribution. The details will be determined at the time the benefit rates are decided. This will mean that income support claimants will receive compensation in April 1988 in their benefit entitlement, whilst at the same time preserving the vital principle of local accountability. This compensation will also be reflected in the rates that will determine help for others on low incomes receiving housing benefit and family credit.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People – 15 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 15th May 1987.

    Mr. Hind Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many people in the West Lancashire district council area are registered under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 as in need of assistance.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available centrally. Information about the number of persons registered as disabled under section 29 (1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 is collected only for social services authority areas.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Credits – 14 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Credits on 14th May 1987.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of how many men aged 60 to 64 years are receiving National Insurance credits without being required to register as unemployed.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1987, c. 376]: Men aged 60-64 years may be awarded credits without being required to register as unemployed for periods when they receive incapacity benefit, invalid care allowance or supplementary benefit. In addition credits are awarded automatically each year to any other men in this age group who have less than a full record of contributions or credits. In 1984-85, the latest year available, the number of men receiving credits in these circumstances was 1.4 million.