§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what new plans she has to introduce cuts and savings in her Department as a result of the effect on her Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if she will make a statement. [8308]
§ Mr. FieldAll Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the comprehensive spending review.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following the recent Budget, she will give her estimate of the total real level of her Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if she will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if she will make a statement. [8307]
§ Mr. FieldThe figures requested for this Department's spending plans within the control total are as follows:
Department of social security control total expenditure in 1995–96 prices £ million 1997–98 1998–99 Budget 1997 control total 75,640 76,596 Budget 1996 control total 76,272 77,781 In addition the Department will benefit from part of the Welfare to Work expenditure which was announced in the Budget. It is also responsible for cyclical social security spending. Both of these are outside the Control Total.
Notes:
1. The Budget 1997 figures were calculated using the GDP deflator assumptions for July 1997.
2. The Budget 1996 figures were calculated using the GDP deflator assumptions for November 1996.
Sources:
1. Control Total Budget 1997—Financial Statement and Budget Report July 1997.
2. Control Total Budget 1996—Financial Statement and Budget Report 1997–98.