§ 54. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the most recent estimate of the total cost of unemployment in the United Kingdom, taking into account benefits paid out, and lost income from taxes which cannot be paid.
§ 55. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the total savings to the Exchequer in unemployment benefit, social security, income tax on earnings and National Insurance contributions if the 3.3 million registered unemployed men and women were fully employed.
§ 59. Mr. Hardyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost of unemployment in the present financial year.
§ Mr. RidleyThe effect of changes in unemployment on the public finances is likely to vary widely according to the underlying circumstances, for example changes in world trade, United Kingdom competitiveness, the level of United Kingdom earnings and so on. It is not, therefore, sensible to talk about the "Cost of Unemployment" as though there were a single figure.
Payments of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit to people registered as unemployed are currently expected to total about £5 billion in 1982–83. Comparable figures for the total of taxes and national insurance contributions not collected cannot be given. There is no basis for estimating what the level of earnings and tax receipts would be if all the unemployed were working.