§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the ability of the United Kingdom to reduce its general Government financial deficit to below the 3 per cent. level necessary to meet the Maastrict treaty convergence criteria. [810]
§ Mr. Waldegrave[holding answer 31 October 1996]: The summer economic forecast projected a general Government deficit in the UK of 3 per cent. in 1997–98. Updated forecasts will be published with the Budget, on 26 November 1996.