Public Sector Borrowing Requirement (Hansard, 27 June 1996)

§ Mr. Gordon Prentice
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from organisations and individuals concerning the use of the public sector borrowing requirement as the primary instrument of fiscal control. [34431]

§ Mr. Waldegrave
A number of representations have been received by Treasury Ministers.

§ Mr. Prentice
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the advantages and disadvantages of using(a) the public sector borrowing requirement and (b) the general Government financial deficit as the primary fiscal control regime. [34415]

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The PSBR is a cash concept which covers the whole public sector. It has the benefits of continuity, comprehensiveness and timeliness of data. But the Government also monitor and publish projections of other fiscal indicators, including the GGFD.

§ Mr. Canavan
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the public sector borrowing requirement for 1996–97. [33429]

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The Budget projection of 1996–97 PSBR was £22½ billion. An updated forecast of the PSBR will be published in the summer economic forecast on 9 July.

§ Mr. John Evans
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce the public sector borrowing requirement over the next six months. [33432]

§ Mr. Waldegrave
The Budget projection of the 1996–97 was £22½ billion, a fall of £6½ billion compared with the Budget estimate of the PSBR in 1995–96. An updated forecast of the PSBR will be published in the summer economic forecast on 9 July.