Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the current total annual spending on (a) alcohol and (b) tobacco; and what is the average spending per head of population aged 18 years on these items.
§ Mr. Peter ReesExpenditure in the United Kingdom in 1980 is estimated as £10,700 million on alcoholic drink and £4,900 million on tobacco. These figures include expenditure in the United Kingdom by overseas visitors and exclude expenditure abroad by United Kingdom residents, neither of which can be separately identified. Dividing the expenditure figures by the United Kingdom 18 years and over population yields averages of £260 and £120 respectively. In view of the qualifications described above and because an unknown amount of expenditure is incurred by those under 18, these averages give only a broad indication of the average expenditure per head of United Kingdom residents aged 18 years and over.