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24 May 2004 : Column 1457W—continued
Labour Statistics (Eastern Region)
Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the change in the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector in the Eastern Region has been in (a) the last 12 months for which figures are available and (b) in the 24 months prior to this; [174544]
(2) how many people are employed in engineering and engineering related industries in the Eastern region; and how many were employed in these industries in (a) 2003, (b) 2002 and (c) 2001. [174545]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Alistair Burt dated 24 May 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about employment in the manufacturing industry and engineering sectors in the eastern region. (174544, 174545)
The latest year for which figures are available is 2002. The attached table shows the information requested for the years 2000–2002.
| Year(103) | Manufacturing | Change year on year | Engineering | Change year on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 333 | — | 120 | — |
| 2001 | 328 | -5 | 118 | -2 |
| 2002 | 307 | -21 | 109 | -9 |
(102) Employee jobs only, does not include self-employed.
(103) The Annual Business Inquiry is released in December of each year.
Source:
Annual Business Inquiry (ABI).
Financial Statistics
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the Government consumption expenditure deflator and (b) the level of public sector inflation for each year since 1997. [174980]
Ruth Kelly:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
24 May 2004 : Column 1459W
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Howard Flight, dated 24 May 2004:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning (a) the Government consumption expenditure deflator and (b) the level of public sector inflation for each year since 1997. (174980)
The implied annual deflator for general government consumption derived from the national accounts estimates published in March 2004 is presented in the attached table.
Please note that these estimates do not present price measures directly, since with a few exceptions (e.g. passport fees), there are no directly observable prices for the services provided by government. The estimates are therefore derived by comparing the spending on producing government services with measures of the output of those services. As derived statistics, they should not be confused with measures of the price of the inputs such as public sector earnings or prices paid for other purchases.
In calculating the deflator, the quality and reliability of the output measures are crucial. However, public service delivery and management mechanisms have developed and become more complex in recent years, and there is an increasing emphasis on the quality of service for the customer. As a result there are greater demands on, and expectations of, measures of government output. In order to ensure that output measures can respond to these demands, in December 2003 I announced an independent review, led by Sir Tony Atkinson, of the future development of government output and productivity measures, and the associated price indices.
| Year | Index |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 88.8 |
| 1998 | 91.1 |
| 1999 | 95.4 |
| 2000 | 100.0 |
| 2001 | 105.7 |
| 2002 | 113.3 |
| 2003 | 122.7 |
(104) Indexed, with value of 100 in year 2000
Source:
UK National Accounts, 26 March 2004
Gershon Review
Brian White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish the results of the Gershon review. [175431]
Mr. Boateng: Sir Peter Gershon continues to work closely with all Departments to prepare detailed efficiency proposals for consideration in the 2004 Spending Review. A further announcement will be made at the Spending Review.
Holiday Bond Schemes
Mr. Salter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to ensure that companies promoting holiday bond schemes make potential investors aware of the financial risks involved. [174533]
Ruth Kelly:
Where firms carry on regulated activities relating to specified investments, including holiday bond schemes, firms must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA also regulates promotions of holiday bonds involving controlled investments and activities, which includes checking that promotions are clear, fair and not misleading.
24 May 2004 : Column 1460W
Large Business Office
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the operating costs have been for the Large Business Office for each year since 1997. [174937]
Dawn Primarolo: The Large Business Office developed during 1997–98 so 1998–99 was the first full year of operation.
The operating costs of the LBO for each year, together with those of the prior year, are set out in their Annual Report. Copies of those for 2000–01 and 2002–03 are held in the House of Commons Library.
Low Sulphur Petrol
John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure the availability of low sulphur petrol after 1 September in the North East of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands; and if he will make a statement. [174481]
John Healey: Following the announcement by the Chancellor that a duty differential of 0.5p/l in favour of sulphur free petrol will apply from 1 September 2004, we anticipate that this will rapidly replace low sulphur petrol. The marketing of sulphur free fuels is a matter for the oil industry, however we do expect that the duty differential will be sufficient to ensure widespread availability across the UK generally. Certainly, early indications from the oil industry are that Scotland will be among the first areas to see the introduction of sulphur-free fuels.
Northern Ireland
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much public money has been spent in Northern Ireland in each of the last seven years, broken down by main budget heading; and what the general receipts were in each year, broken down by revenue source. [175232]
Mr. Boateng: Identifiable public spending by function, region and country is published annually in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest data for Northern Ireland is shown in the tables 8.5,8.6,8.7,8.8 and 8.9 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2004 (Cm 6201). Information on current receipts is published in Table C8 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 301). No Northern Ireland-specific figures are available for current receipts.
Public Sector Inflation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the Government consumption expenditure deflator and (b) the level of public sector inflation for each year since 1979. [175243]
Ruth Kelly:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
24 May 2004 : Column 1461W
Letter from Colin Mowl to Chris Ruane, dated 24 May 2004:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning (a) the Government consumption expenditure deflator and (b) the level of public sector inflation for each year since 1979.1 am replying in his absence. (175243)
The implied annual deflator for general government consumption derived from the national accounts estimates published in March 2004 is presented in the attached table.
Please note that these estimates do not present price measures directly, since with a few exceptions (e.g. passport fees), there are no directly observable prices for the services provided by government. The estimates are therefore derived by comparing the spending on producing government services with measures of the output of those services. As derived statistics, they should not be confused with measures of the price of the inputs such as public sector earnings or prices paid for other purchases.
The methodology used in calculation the volume measure of Government consumption was changed from the mid-1990s, therefore comparisons should be made with care.
In calculating the implied deflator, the quality and reliability of the output measures are crucial. However, public service delivery and management mechanisms have developed and become more complex in recent years, and there is an increasing emphasis on the quality of service for the customer. As a result there are greater demands on, and expectations of, measures of government output. In order to ensure that output measures can respond to these demands, in December 2003 the National Statistician announced a review of the future development of government output and productivity measures, and the associated price indices.
| Year | Index |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 27.8 |
| 1980 | 34.4 |
| 1981 | 38.8 |
| 1982 | 42.0 |
| 1983 | 44.7 |
| 1984 | 46.8 |
| 1985 | 49.5 |
| 1986 | 52.4 |
| 1987 | 56.2 |
| 1988 | 60.4 |
| 1989 | 64.8 |
| 1990 | 70.0 |
| 1991 | 74.9 |
| 1992 | 79.1 |
| 1993 | 81.1 |
| 1994 | 83.1 |
| 1995 | 84.9 |
| 1996 | 87.4 |
| 1997 | 88.8 |
| 1998 | 91.1 |
| 1999 | 95.4 |
| 2000 | 100.0 |
| 2001 | 105.7 |
| 2002 | 113.3 |
| 2003 | 122.7 |
Source:
UK National Accounts, 26 March 2004
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