§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been (a) the total cost of wages and salaries for all services in local 39W authorities in England and Wales for each year since 1970–71, (b) the total gross expenditure for all local authorities in England and Wales for each year since 1970–71 and (c) the cost of wages and salaries expressed as a percentage of total gross expenditure.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettBecause of the great variation in the proportion of total expenditure represented by wages and
LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES WAGES AND SALARIES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS REVENUE EXPENDITURE £ million Rate Fund Services Total gross revenue expenditure Wages and salaries Wages and salaries as a percentage of total% 1970–71 … … … 4,059 2,353 58 1971–72 … … … 4,708 2,811 60 1972–73 … … … 5,451 3,346 61 1973–74 … … … 6,471 3,877 60 1974–75 (provisional)* … … … 8,138 5,168 64 £ million Housing Revenue Account Total gross revenue expenditure Wages and salaries Wages and salaries as a percentage of total % 1970–71 … … … 764 104 14 1971–72 … … … 832 132 16 1972–73 … … … 991 172 17 1973–74 … … … 1,187 201 17 1974–75 (provisional)* … … … 1,600 275 17 £ million Trading Accounts Total gross revenue expenditure Wages and salaries Wages and salaries as a percentage of total % 1970–71 … … … 345 161 47 1971–72 … … … 364 172 47 1972–73 … … … 344 159 46 1973–74 … … … 388 183 47 1974–75 (provisional)* … … … 216 137 63 * Transfers of staff to water authorities in 1974–75 are in part responsible for the fall in expenditure on trading accounts in that year. Source: Local Government Financial Statistics.