The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: Chief Secretary (1987-1989)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Growth – 12 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Growth on 12th February 1988.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the reply of 25 January,Official Report, column 81, concerning the rate of growth in each of the past three decades, to what factors he attributes the higher rate of growth in 1957 to 1967; and whether he expects that rate of growth to be achieved in the next four years.

    Mr. Major [holding answer 9 February 1988]: Among other things, the world economic environment was more favourable in the 1950s and 1960s than subsequently. Even so, growth in the non-oil economy over the past six years has averaged 3.3 per cent; higher than in the period 1957–67. The Chancellor will be publishing a forecast to mid-1989 at the time of the Budget.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Wages and Salaries – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Wages and Salaries on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Pike To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the expenditure proposed for (a) hospital services and (b) other central Government services in the plans for 1988–89 to 1990–91 is calculated to account for wages and salaries.

    Mr. Major The Government do not have a central pay assumption.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Public Investment – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Investment on 11th February 1988.

    Ms. Mowlam To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the level of public investment as a proportion of gross domestic product.

    Mr. Major In 1987–88 public sector capital spending, as defined in table 2.10 of volume I of the 1988 public expenditure White Paper, is estimated to be about 5.5 per cent. of gross domestic product.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Martyn Jones To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions about pay levels for (a) nursing and (b) Civil Service staff are made in the Government’s expenditure plans for 1988–89.

    Mr. Allan Roberts To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he has taken, in drawing up his expenditure plans for (a) the National Health Service and (b) central Government expenditure for 1988–89 of the provision of funds for (i) the pay award for nurses and (ii) public sector pay generally.

    Mr. Major The Government do not make a central pay assumption.

    Mr. Martlew To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to increase the planned expenditure on (a) hospital and (b) all Government services for 1988–89 and 1989–90.

    Mr. Ron Davies To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the light of representations received, he intends to increase the resources in his published expenditure plans for 1988–89 (a) for the National Health Service and (b) for Government expenditure generally.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley).

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Nurses (Pay) – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Nurses (Pay) on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Vaz To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additions to the Government’s expenditure plans for (a) the National Health Service and (b) other central Government services for 1988–89 and 1989–90 would require to be made if (i) nursing staff and (ii) other employees were to receive a pay increase of 20 per cent.

    Mr. Major Departments are generally expected to contain the costs of any pay increases within the published plans. The Government will consider the financing of pay increases for nurses when the report of the nurses pay review body has been received.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Companies (Profitability) – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Companies (Profitability) on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Roger King To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of profitability in British companies.

    Mr. Major The profitability of non-oil industrial and commercial companies has increased in each of the past six years: the best performance for a generation.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Expenditure – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Expenditure on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Worthington To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current estimate of underspend for 1987–88.

    Mr. Galbraith To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the expected outturn for 1987–88.

    Mr. Major The latest estimated outturn for the planning total in 1987–88 is £147.3 billion as set out in the 1988 public expenditure White Paper.

    Mr. Michael To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the percentage increase in spending on (a) hospital and (b) all central Government services between 1988–89 and 1989–90.

    Mr. Major Health figures for the United Kingdom are shown in table 2.7 of volume I of the 1988 public expenditure White Paper. The table shows increases between 1988–89 and 1989–90 of about 4.5 per cent. for hospital and community health services and about 5 per cent. for the National Health Service as a whole. The overall increase in central Government spending between 1988–89 and 1989–90 is planned to be about 5.25 per cent.

    Mr. Morley To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to increase planned expenditure on (a) the National Health Service and (b) all Government expenditure in the years 1988–89 to 1990–91.

    Mr. Major The Government have announced increases in public spending in total and on the National Health Service. The latest plans are set out in “The Government’s Expenditure Plans 1988–89 to 1990–91” (Cm. 288). These plans will be reviewed in the normal way in the annual public expenditure survey.

    Mr. Fatchett To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in relation to his recently published expenditure plans for (a) education spending and (b) Government expenditure generally.

    Mr. Major The White Paper plans, and the increased provision they include for education, have been widely welcomed.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Relative Prices – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Relative Prices on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Beith To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to change the extent to which the impact of relative prices is assessed in the public expenditure White Paper.

    Mr. Major I have no such plans at present. However, the possibility of including information on relative prices in the White Paper has been discussed in the Treasury and Civil Service Committee and the Government will consider carefully any recommendations the Committee may make on the subject.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Electricity Prices – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Electricity Prices on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Morgan To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the (a) deflationary impact on economic activity and (b) the inflationary impact on prices of the proposed increases in electricity prices.

    Mr. Major Subject to the decisions of the area boards, the likely increases in electricity prices will add directly about 0.25 per cent. to the level of the RPI. Calculating the net impact on activity and inflation would require the simulation of an economic model, and it has not been the practice to publish such estimates.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Gross Domestic Product – 11 February 1988

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Gross Domestic Product on 11th February 1988.

    Mr. Ian Bruce To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest figures for the growth of gross domestic product over the past year.

    Mr. Irvine To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest figures for the growth of gross domestic product over the past year.

    Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave on 5 February at column 785 to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett).

    Dr. Reid To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the level of public investment as a proportion of gross domestic product.

    Mr. McAvoy To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the level of public investment as a proportion of gross domestic product.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson).