§ 23. Mr. Adleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much an extra 100,000 people unemployed adds to the public sector borrowing requirement through benefits due.
§ Mr. BiffenI refer my hon. Friend to page 114 of Cmnd. 7841, which states that a variation of 100,000 in the number of unemployed is estimated to change benefit costs by about £100 million per annum.
§ 25. Mr. Haselhurstasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the public sector borrowing requirement of an increase of 500,000 in the number of registered unemployed.
§ 34. Mr. Dubsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect of an additional 500,000 unemployed on Government revenue and expenditure, repectively.
§ Mr. BiffenThe effect of changes in the numbers of registered unemployed on government revenue and expenditure and the public sector borrowing requirement depends on the reasons for the initial change. All such calculations require a detailed simulation on the Treasury model, and for the reasons given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State, in his reply on 14 November 1979 to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East—[Vol. 973, c. 622–23.]—I am unwilling to supply such information. The hon. 253W Members may wish, however, to pursue their inquiry via access to the Treasury's economic model through the Library of the House.