Category: Chief Secretary (1987-1989)

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Employment on 14th December 1987.

Mr. Adley To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the recent fall of share prices on the level of employment; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major The forecast published in the Autumn Statement took account of the fall in world stock markets. While this inevitably made the prospect more uncertain, growth of 2.5 per cent. (3 per cent. for the non-oil economy) was forecast, holding out the prospect of further falls in unemployment.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure on 10th December 1987.

Mr. Salmond To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he does not include defence procurement expenditure in tables showing identifiable public expenditure by function in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

Mr. Major Defence procurement expenditure is deemed to have been incurred on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole and it is, therefore, not appropriate to allocate it to an individual country in tables showing identifiable public expenditure by function and territory.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Overseas Assets on 9th December 1987.

Mr. Chris Smith To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the sterling value of British-owned assets held abroad (a) in the United States of America and (b) elsewhere, as at 16 October 1987, and on 7 December 1987.

Mr. Major [holding answer 7 December 1987]: I regret that the information is not available.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Distribution of Income on 9th December 1987.

Mr. Frank Field To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the figures on the distribution of income in the United Kingdom for 1984-85 will be published.

Mr. Major The estimates for the distribution of income in the United Kingdom for 1984-85 are to appear in the November issue of Economic Trends, which is expected to be published on Friday 18 December.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 9th December 1987.

Mr. Frank Field To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will examine the possibility of reclassifying as a child tax relief that part of child benefit received by families who pay more in income tax than they receive in child benefit.

Mr. Major No. Payments made by the Government are usually treated as public expenditure rather than negative taxation unless the payments are an integral part of the tax system. The definition of public expenditure used in the public expenditure White Paper follows in the main national accounting conventions which in turn follow international guidelines.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Job Creation on 7th December 1987.

Mr. Gordon Brown To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average cost of each job created in the following Government programmes:(a) enterprise zones, (b) the business expansion scheme, (c) urban development corporation and (d) regional selective assistance.

Mr. Major These programmes are part of the Government’s wider policy of helping markets to work more effectively. That policy, combined with the sound macro-economic policies we have pursued has secured great success, helping to generate 1.25 million new jobs in the United Kingdom since 1983. Adult unemployment (seasonally adjusted) has fallen for 16 months in succession.

Cost per job is one of a number of measures used in assessing programmes which are aimed at job creation. Where relevant and available, information is given in the public expenditure White Paper. Questions on such measures in relation to individual schemes are a matter for the Secretary of State responsible for them. No current information on cost per job is available for the business expansion scheme.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Manufactured Exports on 2nd December 1987.

Mr. Wray To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral reply of 26 November,Official Report, column 365, what has been the figure for the United Kingdom’s manufactured exports for each year since 1975.

Mr. Major The information, from 1978 onwards, is available in table B7 of the “Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics,” November edition. Figures for earlier years can be found in the annual supplement No. 8 of this publication. Copies are in the Library.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Manufactured Exports on 26th November 1987.

Mr. Curry To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of United Kingdom manufactured exports since 1981.

Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis).

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the National Economic Development Council on 26th November 1987.

Ms. Richardson To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to change the composition of the membership of the National Economic Development Council.

Mr. Major The current composition of the National Economic Development Council strikes the right balance between the various parties. When individual members leave, it is, of course, necessary to appoint replacements.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unit Labour Costs on 26th November 1987.

Mr. Cran To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the growth of unit labour costs in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Major In the second quarter of 1987 unit labour costs for the whole economy were 4 per cent, higher than a year earlier. Manufacturing unit wage costs were 1.5 per cent, higher than a year earlier in the third quarter of 1987.