HC Deb 15 November 1988 vol 140 cc569-70W
Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was(a) the total number of persons in the United Kingdom employed in central Government Departments and in local government for 1960, 1970, 1979, 1984 and 1988, (b) the percentage of the total population and total work force these figures represent for those years, (c) the value of the total salaries and employment costs of these two groups for the same years and (d) the percentage of gross domestic product these sums represent for those years; and if he will give any information he may have as to equivalent figures for France, West Germany, the United States of America and Japan;

(2) if he will list all those public bodies which in 1979 were included in the public sector and have now been privatised, denationalised or in some way removed from the public sector; and how many persons each such body employed at the time of transfer from the public sector.

Mr. Major

I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before Prorogation. Therefore, I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Mr. Norman Lamont

Available information is in the tables. Estimates for years up to 1985–86 are based on the annual surveys of personal incomes. Estimates for later years are based on a projection of the 1985–86 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.

Table 1: Wife"s earnings elections
Number ('000) (Cost £ million)
1978–79 120 100
1979–80 120 90
1980–81 150 100
1981–82 250 170
1982–83 220 190
1983–84 180 170
1984–85 190 190
1985–86 180 220
1986–87 210 270
1987–88 280 390
1988–89 300 250

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