Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Business Investment on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Butler To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest forecast for business investment in 1988.
Mr. Ian Taylor To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest forecast for business investment in 1988.
Mr. Major Business investment is forecast to grow by 9 per cent. in 1988, as shown in chapter 3 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Budget Surplus on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Butterfill To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest forecast of the Budget surplus for 1988-89.
Mr. Yeo To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest forecast of the Budget surplus for 1988-89.
Mr. Batiste To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest forecast of the Budget surplus for 1988-89.
Mr. Major The latest forecast for the PSBR in 1988-89 is for a net repayment of about £3 billion, 0.75 per cent. of GDP, as published in the 1988-89 Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Manufactures on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Wood To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current United Kingdom volume share of world trade in manufactures.
Mr. William Powell To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current United Kingdom volume share of world trade in manufactures.
Mr. Major In 1987 the estimated United Kingdom volume share of total world trade in manufactures was about 7.5 per cent. As chart 3.5 in the FSBR shows, this share has been broadly stable since 1981, following previous decades of decline.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Manpower on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Turner To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of his Department are responsible for monitoring (a) the social security budget, and (b) other Department of Health and Social Security services.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of his Department are responsible for monitoring (a) the social security budget, and (b) other expenditure by the Department of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms. Armstrong).
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Market (North of England) on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Riddick To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the labour market in the north of recent economic trends.
Mr. Major Strong economic performance has benefited the labour market in all regions, especially the North, North-West and the West Midlands, which have enjoyed the largest reductions in unemployment rates.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Withdrawals on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Michael To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what weight he gives to the effect of benefit withdrawals when assessing marginal tax rates.
Mr. Major The Government’s policy is to reduce marginal rates of tax. Only about 3 per cent. of the working population face high rates of benefit withdrawal and the Budget reduced their number by 30,000.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Staff on 16th June 1988.
Dr. Twinn To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 April.
Mr. Major On 1 April 1988 there were 579,627 staff in post in central Government Departments. Of these 506,565 were non-industrials and 73,062 were industrials.
The Government’s declared target for this date has therefore been met. Staff in post figures will continue to be reported on a quarterly basis, although the move to running cost controls in place of manpower ceilings will give departments more freedom to adjust between manpower and other running cost expenditure in the pursuit of best value for money.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Tim Smith To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the fall in long-term unemployment in the year to January 1988.
Mr. Major Long term unemployment fell by 234,000 in the year to January 1988, and by a further 71,000 between January and April.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Government Revenue on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Chapman To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of total Government revenue in 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major The latest estimate of total general Government receipts in 1988–89 is £185 billion, as published in the 1988–89 Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the National Economic Development Council on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Anthony Coombs To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last attended the National Economic Development Council; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Major My right hon. Friend the Chancellor last attended and chaired the National Economic Development Council on Wednesday 13 January. The Council discussed the outlook for the economy; a report by the knitting industry; and international competitiveness, research and development, and action by economic development committees.