HC Deb 06 June 1985 vol 80 cc250-1W
Mr. Gould

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1973, each year since 1979, and 1985 to date the level of manufacturing output based on 1980= 100, the level of industrial production less oil and gas, and the level of gross domestic product less oil and gas.

Mr. Peter Rees

The information requested is as follows:

numbers
1982–83 14
1983–84 8
1984–85 11

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the gap between the salary levels of computer programmers in the computer services division of the Customs and Excise Headquarters in Southend and comparable positions in private industry in the south-east of England; and what steps he will take to narrow the differential;

(2) if he will introduce a regional variation in additional payments to ensure that the Customs and Excise computer services division is in a position to offer comparable salaries to those in private industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hayhoe

[pursuant to his reply, 5 June 1985, c. 173]: The pay and allowances of computer programmers in Customs and Excise computer services division at Southend, as for all civil servants, are determined centrally following negotiation with the recognised civil service trade unions. The Government have no reason to believe computer programmers in the civil service are not fairly remunerated.

There are no plans to introduce a regional variation in the allowances paid to computer programmers.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the headquarters of Customs and Excise in Southand has initiated a new programme to engage a private firm to undertake a major computer-based project for the computer services division; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hayhoe

[pursuant to his reply, 5 June 1985, c. 173]: In developing and operating its computer systems, the Department draws both on its in-house capacity and on external resources. The extent to which it is appropriate to call on external ADP resources is something which is continuously assessed. There has been no recent decision to engage a private firm for a major new computer-based project.