§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the policy of the Government in relation to the future net wealth of the public sector. [19953]
§ Mr. Darling[holding answer 10 December 1997]: The Government believe balance sheet data, including public sector net wealth, provide useful information on the conduct of fiscal policy and the state of the public sector. A discussion paper on the public sector balance sheet has been published as part of the consultation process initiated in the "Pre-Budget Report." Meeting the golden rule over the economic cycle should prevent a repeat of the large fall in public sector net wealth in the first half of the 1990s.