Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Civil Service (Closed Shop) on 5th February 1990.
Sir Norman Fowler To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what closed shop arrangements exist in the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major [holding answer 2 February 1990]: There are no closed shop arrangements in the Civil Service.
Civil servants are free to choose whether or not they wish to join or remain a member of a trade union.
Below is the text of the Written Parliamentary Answer on Northern Ireland on 18 January 1990.
Mr. John D. Taylor To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last made representations to the European Commission to have the restrictions on the movement of Irish shoppers into Northern Ireland removed.
Mr. Major I assume that the right hon. Member is referring to the Irish Government’s withdrawal in March 1987 of travellers’ allowances from persons who have been out of the Republic for less than 48 hours. Her Majesty’s Government made it clear at the time both to the European Commission and to the Irish Government that they believed these restrictions to be contrary to EC law. The United Kingdom has intervened accordingly in support of the proceedings instituted by the Commission against Ireland in the European Court of Justice. The hearing is due to take place in February.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Exchange Rate on 18th January 1990.
Mr. Denzil Davies To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the £ sterling has moved against(a) the yen, (b) the US dollar and (c) the deutschmark over the last 10 years.
Mr. Major I refer the right hon. Member to table 13.1 of the Central Statistical Office’s “Financial Statistics”.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Incomes on 18th January 1990.
Sir Ian Gilmour To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will recalculate the figures given in his reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 2 November 1989 Official Report column 282 to show percentage annual changes in average real net incomes of (a) pensioners, (b) married men with two children, and (c) single non-retired people, taking into account increases in local authority rates, local authority and other rents, and mortgage costs.
Mr. Major [holding answer 17 January 1990]: The changes in average real net incomes given in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 2 November take account of price increases as measured by the retail prices index. This includes increases in housing costs.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Manufacturing Industry on 18th January 1990.
Mr. Denzil Davies To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the increase in private non-residential fixed investment in the period 1987 to 1989 was accounted for by investment in manufacturing industry.
Mr. Major 1988 is the last full year for which data are available. The data for 1987 and 1988 may be found in the “United Kingdom National Accounts” 1989 edition (CSO Blue Book).
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Business Investment on 18th January 1990.
Mr. John D. Taylor To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last made representations to the European Commission to have the restrictions on the movement of Irish shoppers into Northern Ireland removed.
Mr. Major I assume that the right hon. Member is referring to the Irish Government’s withdrawal in March 1987 of travellers’ allowances from persons who have been out of the Republic for less than 48 hours. Her Majesty’s Government made it clear at the time both to the European Commission and to the Irish Government that they believed these restrictions to be contrary to EC law. The United Kingdom has intervened accordingly in support of the proceedings instituted by the Commission against Ireland in the European Court of Justice. The hearing is due to take place in February.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Inflation on 18th January 1990.
Mr. Denzil Davies To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the growth of average earnings over the last six months on the rate of inflation.
Mr. Major Excessive pay settlements primarily threaten job prospects. The Government will not bail out employers who do not control their costs.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Investment on 18th January 1990.
Mr. Jack Thompson To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Treasury’s forecast for the growth of total investment.
Mr. Major The Autumn Statement forecast projected investment to rise by 5¼ per cent. in 1989 and 1¾ per cent. in 1990. This comes after an average growth of 7¼ per cent. a year between 1983 and 1988.
Mr. Hanley To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the growth in total investment since 1983.
Mr. Norman Lamont Total investment grew by 42 per cent. between 1983 and 1988, an annual average increase of 7¼ per cent. This is far higher than the growth range recorded under the last Labour Government, which averaged ¼ per cent. per year.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Business Investment on 18th January 1990.
Mr. Ian Bruce To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures indicating the share of gross domestic product taken by business investment.
Mr. Major Business investment as a proportion of gross domestic product was 14.6 per cent. in 1988. The Industry Act forecast projected total business investment to grow by 9¼ per cent. in 1989. As a share of GDP, in 1989 business investment is likely to be one of the highest since the war.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s response on the European Monetary Union held on 18th January 1990 in the House of Commons.
Mr. Day To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the Delors plan for a three-stage advance towards the full integration of European Community economic and monetary policies.
Mr. Major I have received a number of representations.
Mr. Day Does my right hon. Friend agree that the current arguments surrounding the Delors plan, particularly in the area of economic sovereignty, do not, as is often thought, offer us a choice between the Prime Minister’s vision of a free market in Europe and a federal Europe, but rather offer the prospect of a single unitary European state about which both federalists and free marketeers should be equally alarmed?
Mr. Major I share that view and believe that that danger exists with the full stages, 1 to 3, of the Delors proposals. I recollect that the House was almost united in rejecting those proposals some time ago.