§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total of interest payments on public sector debt held outside the public sector in 1978–79, expressed at 1977 survey prices.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:The latest estimates of public sector debt interest payments are given in table 5.1 of the new public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd 7439). As the table shows, the latest estimate for 1978–79 is £8,200 million at 1978 survey prices. This presents a fall of around £100 million from the forecast given in the last public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd 7409), revalued from 1977 to 1978 survey prices.
§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total of public sector debt held outside the public sector for March 1978, and his estimate for March 1979.
§ Mr. Joel Barnett:I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.