§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the increase in national insurance in April on(a) disposable incomes, (b) consumer spending as a percentage of GDP, (c) personal borrowing levels and (d) the saving ratio. [99023]
§ Dawn PrimaroloGovernment economic forecasts take account of the effects of the increase in national insurance contributions announced in Budget 2002.