§ Sir Ralph HowellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the basis for the figure of 729W £13.2 billion as the total cost for unemployment for 1992–93 as given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury in a letter dated 13 October 1993, ref.cst.ps/dr/llmp12.10, to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North; and if he will publish figures showing the overall cost of unemployment for 1993–94 and 1994–95 calculated on the same basis. [41375]
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe figure in my predecessor's letter was not an estimate of the cost of unemployment. It was simply the total public expenditure on various items specified by my hon. Friend. The corresponding figures for 1993–94 and 1994–95 are estimated at £14.3 billion and £13.5 billion respectively.