§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in theOfficial Reporta table showing for each year since 1945 (a) the total national debt, (b) the amount of the national debt that is held privately, (c) the total national debt per capita and (d) the amount of the national debt that is held privately per capita;
(2) if he will publish in theOfficial Reporta table showing for each year since 1945 in terms of 1977 prices (a) the total national debt, (b) the amount of the national debt that is held privately, (c) the total national debt per capita and (d) the amount of the national debt that is held privately per capita;
(3) if he will publish in theOfficial Reporta table showing (a) the increase in the total national debt and (b) the increase in the privately held part of the national debt in the following periods: 1945 to 1951, 1951 to 1964, 1964 to 1970, 1970 to 1973, and 1974 to the latest date for which information is available;
723W(4) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing in terms of 1977 prices (a) the increase in the total national debt and (b) the increase in the privately held part of the national debt in the following periods; 1945 to 1951, 1951 to 1964, 1964 to 1970, 1970 to 1973, and 1974 to the latest date for which information is available.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettIt is convenient to answer these Questions together. The information requested is given in Tables 1 to 4 below. Statistics of the national
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TABLE 1 NATIONAL DEBT AT CURRENT PRICES (31st March each year) National debt(£ million) National debt held privately*(£ million) National debt per capita £ National debt held privately per capita*£ National debt (£ million) National debt held privately*(£ million) National debt per capita£ National debt held privately per capita*£ 1945 … 21,366 Not available 439 Not available 1946 … 23,637 15,206 486 312 1947 … 25,631 15,822 524 323 1948 … 25,621 16,197 518 328 1949 … 25,168 Not available 505 Not available 1950 … 25,802 Not available 510 Not available 1951 … 25,922 16,233 516 323 1952 … 25,891 Not available 513 Not available 1953 … 26,051 Not available 516 Not available 1954 … 26,583 Not available 524 Not available 1955 … 26,934 Not available 526 Not available 1956 … 27,039 17,378 527 338 1957 … 27,008 17,411 524 338 1958 … 27,232 18,058 526 349 1959 … 27,376 18,162 526 349 1960 … 27,733 18,229 529 348 1961 … 28,252 18,371 535 348 1962 … 28,674 18,375 538 345 1963 … 29,848 17,867 557 333 1964 … 30,226 17,806 561 330 1965 … 30,441 17,144 561 316 1966 … 31,341 17,324 575 318 1967 … 31,986 18,018 583 329 1968 … 34,194 18,398 621 334 1969 … 33,984 17,395 614 315 1970 … 33,079 17,954 596 324 1971 … 33,442 18,820 601 338 1972 … 35,840 21,632 642 388 1973 … 37,156 21,315 664 381 1974 … 40,458 22,695 722 405 1975 … 46,405 25,685 829 459 1976 … 56,584 34,020 1,011 608 1977 … 66,854 41,995 1,195 751 1978 … 79,180 48,706 1,417 871 *Up to 1962, total market holdings less holdings by local authorities, public corporations and overseas official holders; in 1963 and later years, also excludes overseas non-official holdings debt are available only for 31st March in each year. The national debt relates only to the liabilities of the National Loans Fund, not to the debt of the whole central Government as defined in the national accounts, and it includes official holdings of central Government debt held by other central Government funds. The latter element, together with identified holdings by local authorities, public corporations and by the overseas sector, has been excluded from the estimates of national debt held privately.
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TABLE 2 NATIONAL DEBT AT 1977 PRICES* (31st March each year) National debt (£ million) National debt held privately † (£ million) National debt per capita(£) National debt held privately per capita†(£) 1945 … Not available Not available Not available Not available 1946 … 141,349 90,932 2,906 1,866 1947 … 143,534 88,603 2,934 1,809 1948 … 133,229 84,224 2,694 1,706 1949 … 127,853 Not available 2,565 Not available 1950 … 127,462 Not available 2,519 Not available 1951 … 117,427 73,535 2,337 1,463 1952 … 110,555 Not available 2,191 Not available 1953 … 109,414 Not available 2,167 Not available 1954 … 109,788 Not available 2,164 Not available 1955 … 107,467 Not available 2,099 Not available 1956 … 103,289 66,384 2,013 1,291 1957 … 99,930 64,421 1,939 1,251 1958 … 98,035 65,009 1,894 1,256 1959 … 98,006 65,020 1,883 1,249 1960 … 98,175 64,531 1,873 1,232 1961 … 97,469 63,380 1,846 1,201 1962 … 96,058 61,556 1,802 1,156 1963 … 97,006 58,068 1,810 1,082 1964 … 97,025 57,157 1,801 1,059 1965 … 93,454 52,632 1,722 970 1966 … 92,142 50,933 1,691 935 1967 … 90,840 51,171 1,656 934 1968 … 94,034 50,595 1,708 919 1969 … 88,019 45,053 1,590 816 1970 … 81,374 44,167 1,466 797 1971 … 75,579 42,533 1,358 764 1972 … 75,264 45,427 1,348 815 1973 … 72,083 41,351 1,288 739 1974 … 69,183 38,808 1,235 693 1975 … 65,431 36,216 1,169 647 1976 … 66,203 39,803 1,183 711 1977 … 66,854 41,995 1,195 751 1978 … 72,846 44,810 1,304 801 *Up to 1961, based on the consumers' expenditure deflator; in 1962 and later years, based on the general index of retail prices. †See note*to Table 1.
TABLE 3 CHANGES IN THE NATIONAL DEBT AT CURRENT PRICES (31st March each year) Change in national debt(£ million) Change in national debt held privately*(£) 1945 to 1951 … … … 4,556 Not available 1951 to 1964 … … … 4,304 2,546 † 1964 to 1970 … … … 2,853 148 1970 to 1973 … … … 4,077 3,361 1974 to 1978 … … … 38,72 26,011 *See note*to Table 1. †Includes overseas non-official holdings in 1964 as well as in 1951. 726W
TABLE 4 CHANGES IN THE NATIONAL DEBT AT 1977 PRICES* (31st March each year) Change in national debt(£ million) Change in national debt held privately† (£ million) 1945 to 1951 … … … Not available Not available 1951 to 1964 … … … —20,402 —13,254‡ 1964 to 1970 … … … —15,651 —12,990 1970 to 1973 … … … —9,291 —2,816 1974 to 1978 … … … 3,663 6,002 *See note*to Table 2. †See note*to Table 1. ‡See note † to Table 3.