Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Economic Trends (Labour Market) on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Stevens To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the labour market in the regions of recent economic trends.
Mr. Major The recent favourable performance of the United Kingdom economy has benefited the labour market in all regions. Unemployment has fallen significantly in all regions over the past year.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Business Activity on 16th June 1988.
Mr. McCrindle To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the rate at which business activity is currently expanding in the United Kingdom; and if he has any evidence of developing bottlenecks.
Mr. Major The output measure of GDP is provisionally estimated by the Central Statistical Office to have increased by 4.5 per cent. in the year to the first quarter of 1988. The CBI’s latest quarterly industrial trends survey shows little evidence of capacity constraints, with the vast majority of firms (86 per cent.) reporting capacity at least adequate to meet expected demand over the next 12 months.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Statistics on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Bowis To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in adult unemployment over the past 12 months.
Miss Widdecombe To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in adult unemployment over the past 12 months.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in adult unemployment over the past 12 months.
Mr. Major Adult unemployment in the United Kingdom has fallen by 535,000 over the past year.
Mr. Woodcock To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the fall in long-term unemployment in the year to January 1988.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the fall in long-term unemployment in the year to January 1988.
Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Wolfson).
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Productivity on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Quentin Davies To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual growth of productivity for the whole economy since 1980.
Mr. Fallon To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual growth of productivity for the whole economy since 1980.
Mr. Major Since 1980 output per head in the whole economy has grown at an average rate of 2.7 per cent. per year, about the same as Japan and faster than any other major industrialised country.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Manufacturing Investment on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Strang To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the level of investment by United Kingdom manufacturing industry in 1987-88.
Mr. Major Investment by manufacturing industry (including leased assets) in 1987-88 was £7,595 million at 1980 prices.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Job Creation on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Charles Wardle To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in the economy since 1983.
Mr. Hanley To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in the economy since 1983.
Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. McLoughlin).
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Manufacturing Productivity on 16th June 1988.
Mr. Sayeed To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of manufacturing productivity in the United Kingdom economy since 1980.
Mr. Gerald Howarth To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of manufacturing productivity in the United Kingdom economy since 1980.
Mr. John Greenway To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of manufacturing productivity in the United Kingdom economy since 1980.
Mr. Major Since 1980, output per head in the manufacturing sector has grown at an average rate of 5.1 per cent. per year – faster than in any other major industrialised country.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure Allocations on 16th June 1988.
Ms. Ruddock To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of public expenditure was devoted to (a) housing, (b) education and (c) health in 1979 and in 1987.
Mr. Major The table shows, for the financial years 1979–80 and 1987–88, public expenditure (net of receipts) on housing, education and science and health as a percentage of the public expenditure planning total, excluding privatisation proceeds and, for 1987–88 only, the adjustment made to bring the sum of individual estimated outturns in line with the Treasury’s view of the likely overall outturn.
Department | 1979-80 out-turn (%) | 1987-88 estimated out-turn (%)
Housing | 7.3 | 2.4
Education and Science | 14.0 | 13.8
Health (1) | 12.0 | 13.6
(1) Excludes personal social services.
Source: Table 5.11, The Government’s Expenditure Plans, 1988–89 to 1990–91, Cm 288-I.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Sector (Financial Deficit) on 14th June 1988.
Mr. Gordon Brown To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the financial deficit of the personal sector for each year since 1979 in constant and cash terms both in total and per household.
Mr. Major [holding answer 10 June 1988] Estimates of the personal sector financial surplus/deficit at current prices are published in table 1.10 of “Financial Statistics”, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. No estimates are available on a constant price basis. No comparable figures are available for the number of United Kingdom households.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Civil Service (Value for Money) on 14th June 1988.
Dr. Marek To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of value for money is applied within the Civil Service; and whether there are any tests or procedures for its evaluation.
Mr. Major [holding answer 13 June 1988] The recent guide to policy evaluation which was published on 12 April 1988 and a copy of which was placed in the Library described value for money as “Ultimately the final social and economic benefit of a policy in relation to the cost”. Sometimes used as shorthand for the optimum combination of economy, effectiveness and efficiency.
Given the variety of activities with which the Civil Service is concerned and the difficulties in a number of areas of valuing final output, there is no single test or procedure for evaluating value for money. But such tests would include the extent to which the effectiveness of the programme has been enhanced without additional resources or, alternatively, the extent to which effectiveness has been maintained with fewer resources through increased efficiency and improved economy. Volume I of the last public expenditure White Paper included a broad description of the measures being taken to improve value for money. Examples of value for money are given in the programme chapters in volume II.