§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will initiate proposals designed to assist farmers faced with increasing bank overdrafts due to the present unprofitability of the beef and pig industry.
§ Mr. BuchanI have been asked to reply.
EXPENDITURE IN UNITED KINGDOM Current prices (£m.) 1970 prices (£m.) 1972 1973* 1972 1973* (a) Betting and gaming … … … … 397 441 † † (b)Alcoholic drink … … … … 3,092 3,724 2,790 3,262 (c) Tobacco … … … … … 1,808 1,941 1,748 1,856 (d) Cinemas … … … … … 63 64 50 43 Other admissions and recreational services* … 200 224 † † The bases for these estimates are described in "National Accounts Statistics: Sources and Methods" HMSO 1968. * Provisional estimates, consistent with those given in "Preliminary estimates of national income and balance of payments 1968 to 1973" Cmnd. 5575. † Separate information of expenditure at 1970 prices on these items is not published.