§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect that Budget 2004 will have on the Hull, North constituency. [169736]
§ Ruth KellyThe Government has the long-term economic goal of maintaining macro-economic stability. Budget 2004 showed that all parts of the UK are set to benefit from the domestic stability delivered by the Government's macro-economic framework, with1480W inflation forecast to remain low and close to target and the Government on track to meet its strict fiscal rules over the economic cycle.
Kingston upon Hull North has clearly already benefited significantly from Government policies to build a strong economy and a fair society. For example, since 1997 claimant count unemployment has fallen by over a third, long-term unemployment has fallen by over three quarters and long-term youth unemployment has fallen by almost 70 per cent.
The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at Parliamentary Constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is freely available via the National Statistics website at www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk