§ Mr. Parkasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in calculating the full Exchequer cost of unemployment, he takes account of the loss of revenue from national insurance contributions and direct and indirect taxes, as well as of unemployment, supplementary and other benefits.
§ Mr. BrittanThe estimates of the direct Exchequer cost of unemployment published in February's Economic Progress Report include the loss of revenue from national insurance contributions and surcharge and from direct taxes. Wider but less direct consequences, such as the loss of indirect taxes, are excluded, since they depend on the cause of the change in unemployment.