§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1988–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8294]
§ Mr. Blunkett[holding answer 14 July 1997]: Along with all other Departments, my Department is reallocating spending within the Departmental ceiling as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if, following the recent Budget, he will give his estimate of the total real level of his Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if he 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 he will make a statement. [8293]
§ Mr. Blunkett[holding answer 14 July 1997]: The figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £13,141 million, £12,854 million, £13,343 million and £13,141 million.
In addition my Department will benefit from part of the Welfare to Work expenditure and the New Deal for Schools, which are outside the Control Total, and which were announced in the Budget.