HC Deb 27 June 1994 vol 245 cc403-4W
Mr. Boateng

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and which Departments have been asked to conduct a fundamental review of their spending; how many and which Departments have produced a report as a result of such a review; and how many and which Departments have(a) published and (b) plan to publish such a report.

Mr. Portillo

Four fundamental reviews were started in early 1993 covering social security, health, education and the Home Office. A further eight were announced in the November Budget last year. These covered employment and transport programmes, the legal Departments, Trade and Industry, Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, Her Majesty's Treasury and urban expenditure. It is intended that all Departments will conduct such reviews by the end of this Parliament.

The reviews once started are on-going. There are no plans to publish reports on the reviews, but their output will, as the first four reviews did last year, inform the annual public expenditure survey decisions.