§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, at 1970 prices, total debt interest paid by (a) central Government, (b) local government, and (c) the nationalised industries in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
§ Dr. GilbertDebt interest paid by each of the sectors mentioned includes payments to other parts of the public sector. Information on debt interest payments, including and excluding identified payments between different parts of the public sector, is given in the following table. The figures have been adjusted to 1970 prices by reference to movements in the internal purchasing power of the pound.
these years in answer to the previous Question put down by the hon. Member. Figures at current prices for both debt interest and total current expenditure are published in Table 5 of the National Income and Expenditure Blue Books and White Papers. The latest figures are given in the table below with debt interest expressed as a percentage of total current expenditure.
§ Dr. GilbertOn 1st April 1973 the number of farmers registered for VAT was 153,258; on 12th January 1974—the latest date for which details are available—the number was 165,711. Every trader registered for VAT is required to make regular returns.