HL Deb 16 October 1984 vol 455 cc974-5
Lord Boyd-Carpenter

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of the gross national product was spent by public authorities nationally and locally in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Canada and Japan at the latest convenient date.

The Earl of Gowrie

International comparisons are only available in terms of the OECD statistic "total outlays of government". As a percentage of GDP, outlays of national and local government combined are as follows. The figures relate to 1982, the latest year for which comparisons have been published.

TOTAL OUTLAY(1) OF GOVERNMENT AS PERCENTAGE OF GDP
United Kingdom .. .. .. .. 47.4
United States .. .. .. .. .. 37.6
France .. .. .. .. .. 50.7
Germany .. .. .. .. .. 49.4
Canada .. .. .. .. .. 45.8
Japan .. .. .. .. .. 34.5

Source: OECD Economic Outlook. July 1984. Table R8.

(1) Current expenditure. capital formation and net capital transfers of central and local government.