§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations underlay his choice of the benefits to be included in the definition of cyclical social security in paragraph 2107 in the autumn statement, Cm 2096; and if he will provide ready reckoners of the effects of(a) the new control total by Department, as in table 2A.5 and (b) on the new control total by spending sector and on the other components of general Government expenditure, as in table 2A.4, of each increment of 100,000 on unemployment above the working assumptions of table 2D.1 of the autumn statement, Cm 2096.
§ Mr. PortilloIn defining the new control total the intention has been to include as many elements of public spending as possible to ensure that it is effective in restraining the trend in growth of public spending below the trend rate of growth of the economy as a whole. Only as much cyclical spending has been excluded from the NCT as is necessary to capture most of the cyclical variation in public expenditure.
Ready reckoners on the effects of an additional 100,000 unemployed are due to be published on 11 February in the Department of Social Security's departmental report.