Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 July 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 July 2003. It was answered by Lord Boateng (Labour) on Monday, 14 July 2003 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement. [124088] Mr. Boateng: In common with all constituencies in the UK, Pendle has benefited from the stability created by this Government's new macroeconomic frameworks and reforms of productivity and labour market opportunities. This has, for example, resulted in a 23 per cent. fall in Pendle's claimant count unemployment, and an 88 per cent. fall in its long-term claimant unemployment, since April 1997. As at November 2002, 3,428 families in Pendle were receiving the working families tax credit and 75 disabled people were in receipt of the disabled person's tax credit (now both replaced by the working tax credit and the child tax credit). In addition, in 2003-04 Pendle shire district council received a 12 1/2 per cent. increase in formula grant from central Government, while the North West Development Agency's indicative allocation increased by 5.4 per cent. between 2002-03 and 2003-04. Pendle's constituents will also benefit from the Government's public services reforms and the £61 billion increase in spending on public services over the next three years which was announced in Spending Review 2002.

Secondary information