§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing, for 1978–79 and for 1990–91, the percentage of gross income taken in taxes, including indirect taxes and the community charge, for each decile group of households ranked by original income, giving the best available estimates.
652W
§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Minister for the Arts what account is taken of the annual rate of inflation in determining the rate per loan for eligible loans from public libraries under the public lending right scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 30 October 1990]: The rate per loan is dependent on the size of the public lending right fund and on various factors that are unknown at the time when funding is allocated, including the numbers of eligible books and loans. Government policy has been to make substantial increase in the fund at appropriate intervals rather than attempt to anticipate inflation and the other unknown factors through annual increases. Overall, however, the rate per loan has broadly kept pace with inflation.