Vote Bundle

HC Deb 08 May 1991 vol 190 cc459-60W

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate in theOfficial Report the amount charged for the full Vote bundle in each Session of Parliament for 1980–81 to date in cash prices and at 1990–91 prices; and if he will state the amounts charged during the current Session, its estimated cost and method of calculation.

Mr. Maples

The cost of taking one copy of the Vote bundle throughout each Session of Parliament since 1980–81 is as follows:

Session	Prices charged	Prices charged uplifted to 1991 prices
	£	£
1980–81	1,757	3,221
1981–82	2,113	3,510
1982–831	1,509	2,396
1983–842	3,039	4,586
1984–85	2,738	3,895
1985–86	2,885	3,937
1986–871	1,569	2,058
1987–882	4,664	5,913
1988–89	4,128	4,852
1989–90	4,304	4,680
1990–913	3,800	3,800

However, the average amount of some forms of tax relief—relief at source on mortgage interest under the MIRAS system and life assurance premiums—is given for quintile and decile groups of households for 1988 in tables 3 and 4 of appendix 1 of the article in March's "Economic Trends".

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each of the decile groups in table 2 of appendix 3 to the article on household incomes in the March issue of "Economic Trends", the estimated gross amount of council tax payable compared to the gross rate, together with the corresponding tax rebate.

Mr. Mellor

Estimates of council tax are not available.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing the numbers of households in each decile of table 2, appendix 3 of the article on household incomes in the March issue of "Economic Trends" that received rate rebates or housing benefit equal to (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 50–99 per cent. of rates.

Mr. Maples

The figures are as follows:

¹ 6 month Session due to General Election.

² 17 month Session.

³ Estimated.

Customers are currently charged on the basis of a page price which is set to recover the relatively fixed costs of maintaining a dedicated printing facility, plus a contribution towards central costs and HMSO's financial targets, from the pages produced, which vary with the level of parliamentary activity.