§ Mr. Marlowasked the Prime Minister whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government not to commit themselves to expenditure plans for 1982–83 in excess in real terms of the likely outcome for 1981–82.
§ The Prime MinisterWe are still considering the plans for public expenditure in 1982–83. In future we shall be announcing our decisions in cash terms. The relationship in real terms between the planned total in that year and the likely outturn in 1981–82 will depend not only on the forecast of the latter but on the increase in costs in the public sector between the two years.