HC Deb 26 November 1979 vol 974 cc507-21W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the latest figures for annual expenditure on public services of all categories, including defence, incurred in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.

Mr. Biffen

The tables below show figures of identifiable public expenditure on the main functional programmes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Figures are presented for the past five years in pounds million, as a percentage of total United Kingdom identifiable expenditure, in pounds per head and the latter as a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head.

The term "identifiable expenditure" refers to expenditure which can be identified from official records as having been incurred in a particular country. In the case of Scotland and Wales it has a wider coverage than expenditure within the responsibility of the Secretaries of State and in the case of Northern Ireland it has a slightly wider coverage than the Northern Ireland programme in the public expenditure survey. It excludes debt interest and expenditure on defence, overseas aid and other overseas services which is incurred on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole. Total identifiable public expenditure represents about 75 per cent. of total public expenditure.

The extent to which expenditure can be identified may vary from year to year and between countries, particularly for services administered on an England and Wales basis. The figures in the tables also reflect other differences in administrative arrangements; for example, current expenditure on sewerage by regional water authorities is treated as a trading expense in England and Wales and excluded from public expenditure: but in Scotland it is local authority rate fund expenditure and so is included in other environmental services as public expenditure. Total Government net lending to nationalised industries is allocated to countries, industry by industry, pro rata to the industries' identifiable capital investment, and the amounts attributed to each country fluctuate from year to year because of the variability both of the aggregate lending figures and of the incidence of expenditure on large capital projects in particular countries.

The estimates below were compiled during the late summer of 1979. They use the terms and classifications of the public expenditure White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1979–80 to 1982–83" Cmnd. 7439, published in January 1979 and, for earlier years, may therefore differ slightly from those given in answers previously. The public expenditure totals on which the estimates are based correspond broadly to those of the Treasury analysis of public expenditure, published as a supplementary table in the September issue of "Financial Statistics", and they do not take account of a small amount of later information on expenditure, particularly for 1978–79, included in the White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1980–81" (Cmnd. 7746).

IDENTIFIABLE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
1974–75
£ million As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 889 181 81 101 1,252 71 14 6 8
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 919 248 106 146 1,419 65 18 7 10
Government lending to nationalised industries† 518 78 18 61 675 76 12 3 9
Roads and transport 1,524 216 94 50 1,884 81 11 5 3
Housing 3,575 445 173 86 4,279 84 10 4 2
Other environmental services 1,687 246 130 50 2,112 80 12 6 2
Law, order and protective services 968 109 48 113 1,238 78 9 4 9
Education and libraries, science and arts 4,723 650 289 166 5,829 81 11 5 3
Health and personal social services 3,933 522 237 147 4,838 81 11 5 3
Social security 5,820 669 389 219 7,095 82 9 5 3
Other public services 396 48 32 14 490 81 10 7 3
Common services 288 24 11 16 338 85 7 3 5
Total 25,240 3,434 1,608 1,168 31,450 80 11 5 4
£ per head* As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 19 35 29 65 22 86 154 131 290
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 20 48 39 94 25 78 187 152 371
Government lending to nationalised industries† 11 15 7 39 12 93 124 54 325
Roads and transport 33 41 34 32 34 97 123 101 95
Housing 77 95 63 56 77 101 112 82 73
Other environmental services 36 47 47 32 38 96 125 125 85
Law, order and protective services 21 21 17 73 22 95 94 78 332
Education and libraries, science and arts 102 125 105 108 104 98 120 101 103
Health and personal social services 85 100 86 95 87 98 116 99 110
Social security 125 128 141 141 127 99 101 111 112
Other public services 9 9 12 9 9 97 103 132 102
Common services 6 5 4 10 6 102 75 64 166
Total 544 658 583 755 562 97 117 104 134
1975–76
£ million As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 1,091 193 85 103 1,472 74 13 6 7
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 1,255 386 144 198 1,983 63 19 7 10
Government lending to nationalised industries† 553 62 100 38 754 73 8 13 5
Roads and transport 1,793 260 122 66 2,241 80 12 5 3
Housing 3,717 537 194 115 4,563 81 12 4 3
Other environmental services 2,145 340 157 77 2,719 79 12 6 3
Law, order and protective services 1,285 149 66 151 1,651 78 9 4 9
Education and libraries, science and arts 5,985 806 369 228 7,389 81 11 5 3
Health and personal social services 5,219 707 320 206 6,452 81 11 5 3
Social security 7,951 900 522 289 9,663 82 9 5 3
Other public services 570 65 89 19 743 77 9 12 3
Common services 409 35 16 15 475 86 7 3 3
Total 31,975 4,440 2,184 1,506 40,105 80 11 5 4
£ per head* As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 24 37 31 67 26 89 141 117 255
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 27 74 52 129 35 76 209 147 362
Government lending to nationalised industries† 12 12 36 25 13 88 89 267 184
Roads and transport 39 50 44 43 40 97 125 110 106
Housing 80 103 70 75 82 98 126 86 92
Other environmental services 46 65 57 50 49 95 134 117 103
Law, order and protective services 28 29 24 98 30 94 97 81 333
Education and libraries, science and arts 129 155 134 148 132 98 117 101 112
Health and personal social services 113 136 116 134 115 97 118 100 116
Social security 171 173 189 188 173 99 100 109 109
Other public services 12 13 32 12 13 92 95 241 92
Common services 9 7 6 10 8 104 78 67 120
Total 689 853 789 980 717 96 119 110 137
1976–77
£ million As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Ireland Northern Kingdom
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 673 184 74 118 1,049 64 18 7 11
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 1,513 443 181 175 2,311 65 19 8 8
Government lending to nationalised industries† -141 1 85 52 -3 .. .. .. ..
Roads and transport 1,816 285 146 74 2,321 78 12 6 3
Housing 4,102 547 209 176 5,035 81 11 4 3
Other environmental services 2,194 350 158 79 2,781 79 13 6 3
Law, order and protective services 1,483 168 74 171 1,896 78 9 4 9
Education and libraries, science and arts 6,757 906 419 262 8,344 81 11 5 3
Health and personal social services 5,948 796 360 240 7,344 81 11 5 3
Social security 9,389 1,100 638 347 11,473 82 10 6 3
Other public services 651 73 78 22 824 79 9 9 3
Common services 455 37 20 11 524 87 7 4 2
Total 34,840 4,890 2,442 1,727 43,899 79 11 6 4
£ per head* As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 15 35 27 76 19 77 188 142 406
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 33 85 65 114 41 79 205 157 275
Government lending to nationalised industries† -3 31 34 .. .. .. ..
Roads and transport 39 55 53 48 42 94 132 127 115
Housing 88 105 76 114 90 98 117 84 127
Other environmental services 47 67 57 51 50 95 135 115 103
Law, order and protective services 32 32 27 111 34 94 96 79 328
Education and libraries, science and arts 146 174 151 170 149 98 117 101 114
Health and personal social services 128 153 130 156 131 98 116 99 119
Social security 202 211 230 226 205 99 103 112 110
Other public services 14 14 28 14 15 95 95 190 98
Common services 10 7 7 7 9 104 77 77 79
Total 751 940 882 1,232 786 96 120 112 143
1977–78
£ million As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 574 168 78 141 960 60 17 8 15
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 1,245 354 220 198 2,018 62 18 11 10
Government lending to nationalised industries† 65 51 160 29 305 21 17 52 9
Roads and transport 1,729 307 143 87 2,266 76 14 6 4
Housing 3,929 572 191 171 4,863 81 12 4 4
Other environmental services 2,340 344 166 87 2,937 80 12 6 3
Law, order and protective services 1,583 177 77 179 2,016 79 9 4 9
Education and libraries, science and arts 7,084 968 440 298 8,790 81 11 5 3
Health and personal social services 6,545 890 405 270 8,109 81 11 5 3
Social security 11,217 1,323 785 424 13,749 82 10 6 3
Other public services 703 87 58 23 871 81 10 7 3
Common services 440 37 25 4 507 87 7 5 1
Total 37,455 5,278 2,748 1,911 47,392 79 11 6 4
£ per head* As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 12 32 28 92 17 72 188 164 533
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 27 68 79 129 36 75 189 220 358
Government lending to nationalised industries† 1 10 58 19 5 .. .. .. ..
Roads and transport 37 59 52 57 41 92 146 127 140
Housing 85 110 69 111 87 97 126 79 128
Other environmental services 50 66 60 57 53 96 126 114 108
Law, order and protective services 34 34 28 117 36 95 94 77 323
Education and libraries, science and arts 153 186 159 194 157 97 118 101 123
Health and personal social services 141 171 146 175 145 97 118 101 121
Social security 242 255 284 276 246 98 103 115 112
Other public services 15 17 21 15 16 97 107 135 94
Common services 9 7 9 3 9 104 79 100 32
Total 808 1,016 993 1,243 849 95 120 117 147
1978–79
£ million As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 519 166 60 146 890 58 19 7 16
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 1,548 387 251 246 2,432 64 16 10 10
Government lending to nationalised industries† 68 11 93 35 207 33 5 45 17
Roads and transport 1,902 337 161 104 2,503 76 13 6 4
Housing 4,215 618 200 189 5,222 81 12 4 4
Other environmental services 2,689 394 153 97 3,333 81 12 5 3
Law, order and protective services 1,842 205 89 207 2,343 79 9 4 9
Education and libraries, science and arts 7,770 1,061 488 344 9,664 80 11 5 4
Health and personal social services 7,483 1,028 468 316 9,295 81 11 5 3
Social security 13,330 1,544 934 521 16,330 82 9 6 3
Other public services 743 95 63 25 926 80 10 7 3
Common services 471 45 25 18 559 84 8 5 3
Total 42,579 5,892 2,986 2,247 53,804 79 11 6 4
1978–79
£ per head* As a percentage of United Kingdom identifiable expenditure per head
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry 11 32 22 95 16 70 201 136 595
Trade, Industry, energy and employment 33 75 91 160 44 77 172 208 368
Government lending to nationalised industries† 1 2 34 23 4 .. .. .. ..
Roads and transport 41 65 58 67 45 93 145 130 150
Housing 91 119 72 123 94 97 128 77 131
Other environmental services 58 76 55 63 60 97 127 92 106
Law, order and protective services 40 40 32 135 42 95 94 76 321
Education and libraries, science and arts 168 205 176 223 173 97 118 102 129
Health and personal social services 161 199 169 205 166 97 119 102 123
Social security 288 298 337 339 292 98 102 115 116
Other public services 16 18 23 16 17 96 111 138 99
Common services 10 9 9 12 10 100 87 92 116
Total 919 1,138 1,079 1,460 962 96 118 112 152
Figures are independently rounded and may not sum to totals.
* Population estimates used in calculating figures of expenditure per head (thousands):
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland United Kingdom
1974–75 46,400 5,217 2,759 1,547 55,922
1975–76 46,391 5,206 2,766 1,537 55,900
1976–77 46,374 5,205 2,769 1,538 55,886
1977–78 46,351 5,196 2,768 1,537 55,852
1978–79 46,349 5,179 2,768 1,539 55,836
† Government lending to nationalised industries is allocated to country, industry by industry, pro rata to the industries identifiable to investment. It is not meaningful to express the 1976–77 figures as percentages of the very small United Kingdom figure.

Mr Joel Barnett

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 15 November, what particular economic developments he was referring to in his assessment of their impact on nationalised industries' shortfall.

Mr. Biffen

I shall let the right hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the planned £3.5 billion reduction in public expenditure will be accounted for by the reduction in the purchase of goods and services from the private sector; and how this will be distributed between the various industries.

Mr. Biffen

Cmnd. 7746 indicated the Government's intention to stabilise public spending for the time being. There is no planned reduction in total public expenditure. It is not for me to speculate on what additional orders various industries might have gained if the unrealistic plans of the previous Government were implemented.