§ 49. Mr. Gryllsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report on the impact of welfare expenditure on public spending in the United Kingdom and other member countries.
§ Mr. Ian StewartI welcome the conclusions in this report, based on international comparisons. They illustrate 731W the fundamental need for firm control of public expenditure and are fully consistent with United Kingdom policy. I will be representing Her Majesty's Government at an OECD Conference in Paris on 13 and 14 February at which the issues discussed in the report and the longer term performance of OECD economies generally are to be discussed.