Since 2010, the deficit has been reduced by three-quarters. However, as the OBR\u2019s Fiscal Risks Report published last week shows, the public finances remain vulnerable and it\u2019s important for this country to bring down its levels of debt.<\/p>
That is why the government has committed to reduce the structural deficit to below 2% and get debt falling as a share of GDP by 2020-21, guiding the public finances back to balance by the middle of the next decade.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4097", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Elizabeth Truss"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Norfolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Elizabeth Truss"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-18T13:31:19.06Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "CaTreasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Sector Debt"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress is being made on reducing the deficit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4485", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Johnny Mercer"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Plymouth, Moor View"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Johnny Mercer"} ], "uin" : "900565"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61656", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/61656/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Two parliamentary questions tabled to the Department for Education, PQs 198493 (tabled on 13/5/2014) and 198434 (tabled on 12/5/2014), did not receive substantive answers by the time of prorogation. The questions had reply on dates during prorogation, and therefore could not be answered due to the House's rules regarding notice periods.<\/p>
<\/p>
As a courtesy, both Members have been sent copies of the answers that they would have received had the Department been permitted to give the answers in the usual way.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4097", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Elizabeth Truss"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Norfolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Elizabeth Truss"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-19T16:15:37.6292099Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Written Questions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1552", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alison Seabeck"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Plymouth, Moor View"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alison Seabeck"} ], "uin" : "200445"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }